GIFT  OF 


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Al 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE 
WORK 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE 
WORK 


BY  THE  AUTHOR  OF 

''THE  GREAT  PSYCHOLOGICAL  CRIME/' 
'THE  GREAT  WORK '^  Etc. 


The  Spirit  of  the  Work  Series 
Volume  I. 


FIRST   EDITION 


INDO-AMERICAN  BOOK  CO., 

5705  So.  Boulevard, 

Chicago,  Ills. 

191S 


-BF/03I 


B)UC. 

I«YCH. 

UBRARY 


Copyright  1914 

by 

Indo-American  Book  Co. 


M4^ 


Published      1915 


%_ 


-? 


ADDRESSED 

to   the 

Students  and  Friends 

of 

Natural  Science 


CONTENTS 

1 

PAGE. 

Difference  in  the  basic  principles  of  the  Great  School 

and  the  Catholic  Church 11 

Bitterness  and  hatred  not  justified  towards  the 
religious  and  philosophic  beliefs  of  others. 

Precautions  taken  by  the  Great  School  to  protect 
the  Work  from  those  who  would  be  disintegrat- 
ing factors. 

Why  a  representative  of  the  Catholic  Church 
could  not  become  an  "Accredited  Representa- 
tive" of  the  School. 

The  present  inertia  of  the  Masonic  Fraternity  in 
matters  of  public  interest  is  very  largely  due  to 
the  subtle  influence  of  its  Jesuit  members. 

Extracts  from  an  address  by  Archbishop  Quigley  to 
the  federated  societies  of  German  Catholics. 

The  Principles  at  the  Foundation  of  Roman  Cler- 
icalism are  diametrically  opposed  to  those  of  the 
Great  School. 

A  Student's  duty  to  the  TK,  if  in  doubt  on  any 
subject  as  presented  by  him. 


'Life  and  Action"  a  "Messenger  Boy"  in  a  Move- 
ment which  has  entirely  outgrown  the  possi- 
bilities of  a  personal  correspondence 35 

The  "Question  Box"  for  important  questions. 

There  is  neither  "bitterness"  nor  "hatred"  on  the 
part  of  the  School  towards  the  Roman  Church, 
its  Religion  or  its  members. 

Personal  Criticism  the  Destructive  Principle  of 
Nature  in  the  Individual  Life. 

The  Elements  which  enter  into  the  exemplifica- 
tion of  Loyalty. 

The  Test  Course  a  searching  Course  of  study  of 
SELF-analysis. 


CONTENTS   Con't. 


The  fallacy  of  with-holding  facts  of  Nature  because 

they  present  the  "Destructive  Principle" 65 

"The  Great  Psychological  Crime"  points  its  read- 
ers to  facts  of  Nature  not  to  frighten  them,  but 
to  enable  them  to  walk  in  the  way  of  safety. 

Intellectual  vanity  a  universal  characteristic 
among  men. 

Obtrusive  Personality — Boastfulness — Dogmatism 
— The  Psychology  of  Criticism — Volubility — Dis- 
cretion— Sensitiveness — Obtrusiveness. 

Men's  attitude  toward  women. 
4 
Self-indulgence    103 

The  Spiritual  Environment  of  the  tobacco  user 
and  its  dangers. 

The  Great  School  not  a  Prohibition  Society. 

The  use  of  tobacco  adds  nothing  to  the  Construc- 
tive side  of  man's  nature. 

Its  effects  upon  the  tissues  of  the  human  body, 
as  well  as  its  presence,  is  detrimental  to  all 
who  hope  to  make  the  personal  demonstration 
of  another  life  by  Constructive  methods. 

5 

Taking  things  for  granted 139 

The  Great  School  not  a  Free  Employment  Bureau, 

nor  an  indiscriminate  money   lender. 
The  Great  School  does  not  concern  itself  with  the 

principle  of  aflanity  except  as  a  purely  scientific 

principle. 
Man's   Personal  responsibility  to   home,   wife  and 

children. 
As  a  matter  of  personal  honor  and  public  morals, 

w^e  are  bound  to  obey  the  laws  of  the  land. 
Do  not   take  for  granted   a   single   thing   in   your 

mutual    relations    as    Students    and    Friends    of 

this   School  and  Work   merely  because  you  are 

Students. 
The  Great  School  stands  for  the  highest  expression 

of  Morality. 
Students   are   not    introduced    to    one   another   for 

the   purpose   of  influencing   them   to   trust   each 

other  in  money  matters. 


CONTENTS   Con't. 


Chicago  the  National  "Cross-Roads"  of  the  country.  169 
Effort  to  equip  a  Central  Group  to  stand  as 
"Accredited  Representatives"  of  the  School  and 
Exemplars  of  the  true  Spikit  of  the  Woek. 
The  Principles  of  the  Great  School  represent  per- 
fection, anything  less  than  the  exemplification 
of  this  fails  to  exemplify  the  real  Spirit  of  the 

WOKK. 

The  real  Spirit  of  the  Work  means  absolute  and 
perfect  Harmony  in  all  our  relations  with  Stu- 
dents and  Friends  of  the  Work  and  Humanity 
in  general. 

Visiting  Students  and  Friends  expect  Perfection  of 
those  at  the  Center,  realizing  their  own  limita- 
tions in  this  regard. 

General  Rule  and  conduct  for  future  guidance 
which  will  govern  the  acceptance  of  applicants 
as  helpers  in  the  Work. 

Admonitions  not  to  fall  into  ways  that  would  seem 
to  lack  the  spirit  of  true  hospitality,  kindness, 
thoughtfulness,  sympathy  and  friendship. 

Character  of  Work  at  Center  will  not  permit  so- 
cial aspect. 

The  inauguration  of  simple  honesty,  consistency, 
sincerity  and  truth  into  our  Social  Structure  in- 
stead of  Conventionality. 

The  elements  which  enter  into  the  new  [yet  an- 
cient] Social  structure  we  are  trying  to  accom- 
plish under  the  guidance  and  wisdom  of  the 
Great  Friends. 

What  Students  who  come  to  us  from  other  points 
have  a  right  to  expect. 

Wrong  misapprehensions  of  those  who  come  to 
Chicago  on  business,  or  for  pleasure,  or 
Medical  treatment. 

7 

The  Great  School's  Definition  of  Loyalty 203 

Secrecy  and  Discretion. 

Students  and  Friends  of  the  Work  are  in  the  very 
midst    of    the    wisest,    cleverest,    most    powerful 
and  most   unscrupulous  enemy  on   earth. 
Criminal   indiscretion   of  one  of  our   trusted   Stu- 
dents and  Friends. 


CONTENTS   Con't. 

Precautions  to  prevent  mistakes  in  the  future. 

Secrecy  in  Groups  absolutely  necessary. 

Never  betray  names  of  Students  nor  discuss  the 
Work  except  as  published  in  books,  with  those 
NOT  PKOVE  "Accredited"  Students. 

Never  discuss  nor  meddle  with  anything"  that  con- 
cerns the  personal  life,  or  affairs  of  those  con- 
nected with  the  School. 

Gossip  unfortunate,  unnecessary  and  unlovely. 

One  of  the  reasons  in  the  past  that  seems  to  have 
stood  in  the  way  of  the  equality  of  women  in 
the  Great  School  is  their  seeming  inability  or 
unwilling-ness  to  keep  its  secrets. 

Fear  of  secret,  mysterious  or  unknown  dangers  is 
not  a  prominent  ingredient  in  the  character  of 
the  average  American  citizen. 

Man's  lack  of  understanding,  want  of  discretion 
and  unwillingness,  and  lack  of  watchfulness  of 
the  enemy  tend  to  disintegrate  our  Centers  of 
activity. 

Secrecy  among  Students,  applies  to  everything  not 
published  by  the  Indo-American  Book  Company 
concerning  the  Work. 

Secrecy  absolutely  necessary  with  reference  to 
Membership  of  local  Groups  of  Students. 

How  to  prevent  "leakages"  through  papers  and 
documents  of  the  School. 

Precautions  necessary  if  married  to  protect  the 
Work  when  one's  companion  is  not  in  sympathy. 

Discretion  necessary. 

The  danger  of  volubility. 

Indiscretions  among  Students  in  discussing  the 
TK,  and  his  intimate  personal  life  and  affairs, 
have  diverted  attention  from  the  real  purpose 
of  the  School  and  the  Work  to  his  personality. 

Student's  Mission  is  to  stimulate  interest  in  the 
School,  the  Work,  this  general  Movement,  and 
in  the  "Living  of  the  Life"  that  will  exemplify 
the  Spirit  of  the  Work. 

8 

The  Phenomenal  vs.  the  Practical 

Growth  of  the  Work  in  numbers. 


CONTENTS   Con't. 

The  Work  of  instruction  a  GIFT  to  each  and 
every  individual  who  receives  it. 

Every  liuman  Soul  who  has  voluntarily  enlisted  in 
this  Great  Cause  is  by  this  fact  engag'ed  in  the 
most  stupendous  battle  ever  waged  by  human 
intelligence;  Intelligence,  Courage,  Love  of  Lib- 
erty, Education,  Cooperation,  Morality  and  Serv- 
ice, VERSUS  Cunning,  Cruelty,  Ignorance,  Super- 
stition, Fear,  Oppression,  Immorality  and  Self- 
ishness. 

"The  Great  Work  in  America"  is  educational  in 
its  method  and  appeals  to  Reason  and  Con- 
science at  every  step  of  the  way. 

Technical  Instructions,  together  with  psychic  ex- 
periences resulting  from  their  personal  applica- 
tion, matters  of  utmost  secrecy. 

Experience  of  the  Technical  Work  Should  only  be 
discussed  when  authorized  by  one  in  authority. 

Manager  of  the  Indo-American  Book  Company 
able  to  meet  and  help  many  people. 

Importance  of  Discretion,  Humility,  Loyalty  and 
Unselfishness. 

9 

Suggestions   for  Christmas   Giving 257 

It  may  take  the  Great  School  half-a-century  to  ed- 
ucate the  people  to  a  point  where  it  can  inaugu- 
rate its  complete  and  perfect  solution  of  the 
great  problem  of  economics  and  sociology. 

Illustrations  of  superfluous  Christmas  Giving. 

Refraining  from  giving  gifts  does  not  apply  to 
members  of  one's  family  and  friends  where  the 
law  of  utility  and  service  can  be  observed. 

All  people  are  susceptible  to  the  influence  and  po- 
tency of  human  sympathy  for  which  the  League 
of  Visible  Helpers  stands. 

Reasons  for  entrusting  money  for  charitable  pur- 
poses  to   the   League   of  Visible  Helpers. 

10 

The  purpose  of  repetition  in  the  Harmonic  Series 
and  "Life  and  Action"  is  to  emphasize  vital 
points  and  make  their  meaning  so  clear  none 
can  misunderstand  them    277 


CONTENTS   Con't. 

Some  articles  in  "Life  and  Action"  are  authentic, 
some  individual  opinions,  some  "Items  of  In- 
terest." 

"An  Old  Prophecy  Revived"  not  an  utterance  of 
the  Great  School. 

"Life  and  Action"  not  solely  the  mouthpiece  of 
the  Great  Friends. 

Students  and  Friends  requested  to  use  their  Rea- 
son and  Conscience  on  everything  TK    may  say. 

Confidence  one  thing- — Over-Confidence,  or  blind 
faith,  quite  another. 

Better  to  plead  pauperism  than  to  deceive. 

The  importance  of  absolute  "good  faith"  in  all 
we  do. 

Students  in  the  School  are  held  by  the  principles 
of  Natural  Science  and  the  Law  of  Compensa- 
tion to  a  far  more  exacting  standard  of  Personal 
Responsibility  and  Moral  Accountability  than  is 
anywhere  practiced  in  the  business  world. 

11 

Individual  Responsibility  in  the  School  and  the  Work  301 

The  future  life  and  success  of  this  Movement  de- 
pendent upon  the  kind  of  men  and  women  ad- 
mitted into  its  Membership. 

The  disintegration  and  death  of  this  Movement 
will  inevitably  follow  the  admittance  of  appli- 
cants who  are  not  "duly  and  truly  prepared, 
worthy  and  well  qualified." 

There  is  a  Natural  law  of  CONSISTENCY  permeat- 
ing every  department  of  human  activity  to 
which  all  mankind  must  acknowledge  allegiance, 
the  Great  School  is  no  exception. 

If  the  beneficences  of  the  Harmonic  Philosophy 
shall  go  thundering  down  the  ages  to  the  last 
syllable  of  recorded  time,  we  must  guard  well 
the  admittance  of  those  who  are  opposed  to  the 
lofty  principles  for  which  it  stands. 

Points  to  consider  well  when  passing  on  an  ap- 
plicant. 

Time  is  not  the  essence  of  this  knowledge,  except 
insofar  as  it  may  be  made  valuable  by  the  ap- 
plication of  intelligence  to  the  accomplishment 
of   worthy   ends. 


FOREWORD. 

From  the  time  my  first  article  on  "THE 
SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK"  appeared  in  ''Life 
and  Action  '  there  began  a  steadily  increasing  de- 
mand from  Students  and  Friends  of  the  Work 
all  over  the  country  for  the  publication  of  these 
articles  in  some  form  that  would  be  of  help  in 
making  them  more  available  for  practical  use. 

As  the  articles  have  accumulated  the  demand 
for  them  has  grown,  until  the  idea  of  issuing 
them  in  book  form,  carefully  indexed  in  such 
manner  that  any  subject  can  be  located  instantly, 
has  seemed  the  only  way  of  meeting  the  demand 
in  such  manner  as  to  facilitate  the  work  of  the 
Student. 

These  articles  have  all  been  suggested  by 
actual  experience.  Each  one  is  founded  upon 
some  definite  and  actual  experience  of  some  one 
or  more  of  the  Students,  and  my  purpose  in 
every  instance  has  been  to  elucidate  some  funda- 
mental Principle  that  goes  to  the  foundation  of 


the  Science  and  Philosophy,  and  make  it  so  clear 
that  each  reader  might  be  able  to  make  the  ap- 
plication to  himself  or  herself,  and  thus  aid  in  the 
great  and  all-important  task  of  LIVING  THE 
LIFE  and  exemplifying  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE 
WORK. 

As  **Side-Lights"  upon  the  teachings  and  find- 
ings contained  in  the  text-works  of  the  Har- 
monic Series,  I  verily  believe  the  material  con- 
tained in  this  volume  will  prove  to  each  Student 
that  it  is  of  the  most  vital  importance  to  anyone 
and  everyone  who  is  endeavoring  to  become  an 
"Accredited  Representative"  of  the  Great  School. 

My  heart,  and  very  Life,  have  gone  into  each 
and  every  page  and  paragraph  of  this  work; 
because  I  have  had  the  abiding  conviction  that 
therein  I  was  accomplishing  something  that 
would  be  of  special  and  definite  value  to  the  Stu- 
dents and  Friends  of  the  Work. 

In  consenting  to  the  publication  of  these  arti- 
cles in  book  form  I  have  been  moved  by  the 
same  conviction.  My  heart  goes  out  to  each  and 
every  reader,  Student  and  Friend,  with  an  abid- 
ing affection,  and  the  earnest  desire  that  my  ef- 
forts will  be  accepted  in  the  spirit  of  good  will 
and  fraternal  regard  that  impelled  me  in  their 
writing. 

Your  Friend  and  Elder  Brother, 

TK. 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

No,  1. 

Everywhere,  in  the  books,  pamphlets,  cir- 
culars, instructions  and  literature  of  the 
School,  as  well  as  in  this  magazine  and  the 
personal  correspondence  between  myself,  the 
blessed  RA.  and  the  Students  and  Friends  of 
the  Work,  occurs,  again  and  again,  the  ex- 
pression,— ^^The  Spirit  of  the  Work,^^  I 
doubt  if  there  is  any  single  phrase  or  ex- 
pression used,  in  connection  with  the  present 
educational  movement  of  Natural  Science, 
more  deeply  significant,  nor  whose  meaning 
is  of  more  vital  importance  to  those  who  are 
known  as  Students,  or  as  *^  Friends  of  the 
Work.'^ 

It  goes  directly  to  the  very  heart  of  things. 

So  deeply  important  is  it  to  those  who  are 
interested  in  the  success  of  this  educational 
movement  of  the  Great  Work  in  America, 
that  an  entire  chapter  is  devoted  to  its 
meaning  and  significance,  its  definition  and 
elucidation,  in  Vol.  Ill  of  the  Harmonic  Se- 
ries. 

11 


12  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

In  order  that  the  readers  of  Life  and 
Action  may  follow  me  intelligently  and  de- 
rive the  largest  measure  of  benefit  possible 
from  that  which  follows  I  am  going  to  ask 
each  one  who  reads  this  article  to  stop  at 
this  point  and  turn  to  Chapter  XVIII  of 
*^The  Great  Work/'  beginning  at  page  303, 
and  read  the  entire  chapter  with  the  utmost 
care  before  finishing  this  article. 

And  then,  in  order  to  make  the  application 
of  the  principle  to  the  specific  subject  herein- 
after considered,  turn  to  page  432  of  the 
same  volume  and  read  carefully  paragraphs 
numbered  6,  8,  9  and  11;  and  on  page  433, 
those  numbered  13,  14,  15  and  16. 

With  this  much  of  the  text  of  Natural 
Science  definitely  and  specifically  impressed 
upon  our  minds,  let  us  now  turn  to  the  con- 
sideration of  the  subject-matter  of  a  letter 
recently  received  by  Mrs.  Huntley  from  a 
lady  ** Friend  of  the  Work''  in  the  west. 

The  writer  of  the  letter  referred  to  had 
been  reading  and  studying  the  books  and  lit- 
erature of  Natural  Science  for  some  time  and 
had  made  definite  application  for  the  per- 
sonal instruction  and  for  admittance  into  the 
School  as  an  accredited  student. 

In  the  course  of  events,  and  in  line  with 
the  methods  and  requirements  of  the  School 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  13 

in  all  such  cases,  she  was  asked  to  meet  some 
of  the  accredited  students  and  representa- 
tives of  the  School  and  Work,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  establishing  the  necessary  personal 
acquaintance  upon  which  alone  her  qualifica- 
tions might  be  determined.  It  was  explained 
to  her  that  she  should  feel  at  liberty  to  ask 
any  questions  from  these  representatives  she 
might  desire  to  have  answered  concerning  the 
School  or  the  Work;  and  she  was  asked  to 
answer  as  frankly  as  possible  such  questions 
as  they  might  ask  her  in  their  efforts  to  de- 
termine her  status  and  qualifications. 

It  would  seem  from  her  letter  that  some 
of  these  representatives  whom  she  met  must 
have  impressed  her  with  a  spirit  of  *^ bitter- 
ness" toward  and  *^ hatred"  against  the 
Catholic  Church,  as  well  as  against  the  in- 
dividual members  of  that  Church.  For  she 
says : 

*^Now  the  point  which  I  most  wish  to  bring 
out  in  this  connection,  is  the  attitude  of 
bitterness  which  I  seem  to  think  I  see  so 
pronounced  toward  not  only  the  Church  of 
Eome  itself,  but  toward  any  member  of  it. 
It  was  the  bitterness  of  the  hostility  that 
frightened  me  away  from  this  Work  for  a 
time  in  the  beginning.  I  had  read  the  books 
and  had  seen  nothing  to  fear;  but — well,  to 


14  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

be  perfectly  frank,  this  bitterness  seemed  to 
cheapen  the  Work  to  simply  an  anti-Catholic 
league,  and  rob  it  of  any  deeper  meaning. '  * 

Then  follows  a  statement  of  her  own  ideas 
on  the  subject,  and  her  understanding  of  the 
attitude  of  the  School,  gathered  from  her 
reading  and  study  of  the  books  of  the  Har- 
monic Series.  And  she  closes  with  the  state- 
ment, in  substance,  that  she  is  *^ puzzled''  by 
what  appears  to  her  a  clear  contradiction  be- 
tween the  '^Spirit  of  the  WorV^  which  she 
obtained  from  her  reading  and  study  of  the 
books,  and  the  *^ Spirit  of  bitterness  and  ha- 
tred'' which  she  had  observed  in  the  mental 
attitude  of  some  of  the  Representatives  who 
had  questioned  her,  and  with  whom  she  sub- 
sequently had  discussed  the  subject. 

Wliile  her  letter  is  a  long  one,  and  contains 
many  disconnected  statements,  the  foregoing 
seems  to  cover  the  substance  of  her  perplex- 
ity, and  will  enable  me  to  make  clear  a  funda- 
mental difficulty  which  the  School  has  en- 
countered throughout  the  ages  past,  and  the 
one  which  it  faces  to-day,  and  doubtless  will 
have  to  contend  against  through  generations 
yet  to  come. 

The  -difficulty  to  which  I  refer  is  that  of 
finding  real  and  true  Representatives  of  the 
''Spirit  of  the  Work.'' 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  15 

I  do  not  believe  it  would  be  possible  for 
any  man  or  woman,  of  fair  intelligence,  to 
read  carefully  and  thoughtfully  the  three 
books  of  the  Harmonic  Series  and  obtain 
therefrom  the  idea  that  there  is  anything 
even  approaching  *^ hatred'^  or  ^'bitterness'' 
in  the  attitude  of  their  authors,  or  the 
School,  toward  either  the  Catholic  Eeligion, 
or  any  individual  member  of  that  Church. 

Everywhere  throughout  the  books  and 
other  literature  of  the  School  is  taught  the 
philosophy  of  Eeligious  Tolerance ;  Freedom 
of  Individual  Conscience ;  the  Eight  of  the  In- 
dividual to  Life,  Liberty  and  the  Pursuit  of 
Happiness ;  the  Eight  of  all  mankind  to  wor- 
ship God  according  to  the  dictates  of  indi- 
vidual Conscience;  and  every  other  doctrine 
that  conserves  the  inalienable  liberties  of  the 
Individual,  so  long  as  he  does  not  trespass 
upon  the  rights  or  the  liberties  of  his  fellow 
men. 

The  difficulty,  therefore,  is  clearly  not  in 
the  School  nor  in  its  teachings  and  findings, 
but  in  the  failure  of  the  individuals  to  ex- 
emplify the  Spirit  of  the  Work  in  their  Daily 
Lives  and  Conduct, 

If  any  Student  or  Eepresentative  of  this 
School  betrays  the  spirit  of  bitterness  or 
hatred  against  the  Catholic  Eeligion,  or  any 


16  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

other  Religion — or  against  the  members  of 
the  Catholic  Church,  or  those  of  any  other 
Church — because  of  their  religious  views,  he 
thereby  proves  that  he  is  out  of  alignment 
with  the  Spirit  of  the  Work,  that  he  is  not 
living  the  life,  and  that  he  Misrepresents  the 
School  and  the  Work  in  a  manner  to  do  both 
incalculable  injury. 

But  every  Student  and  accredited  Repre- 
sentative of  the  Great  School,  in  order  to  be- 
come such,  assumes  certain  definite  responsi- 
bilities to  the  School,  and  the  Work  it  is  do- 
ing, and  the  Cause  it  represents;  and  these 
he  is  bound  to  discharge  to  the  best  of  his 
abilities. 

One  of  the  most  important  of  these  is  the 
obligation  to  do  whatever  he  can  to  guard  the 
School  against  the  admittance  of  applicants 
for  instruction  who  are  not  'Muly  and  truly 
prepared,  worthy  and  well  qualified, ' '  nor  in 
harmony  with  the  principles  for  which  the 
School  stands. 

In  the  discharge  of  this  obligation  and  re- 
sponsibility it  is  often  necessary  for  him  to 
question  the  applicant  with  the  utmost  care, 
and  exercise  the  most  intelligent  precaution 
and  discretion,  lest  through  negligence  or 
oversight  he  may  recommend  for  admittance 
into  some  one  or  more  of  our  courses  of  in- 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  17 

struction,  and  into  the  confidences  which 
necessarily  accompany  the  same,  those  who 
are  not  yet  ready  for  such  instruction  nor 
prepared  to  make  a  right  use  of  the  confi- 
dences involved. 

To  this  end  it  is  of  the  utmost  importance, 
to  all  parties  and  interests  concerned,  that 
every  such  accredited  Representative  be  care- 
fully instructed  in  advance  concerning  the 
qualifications  of  Students,  and  concerning  the 
particular  points  to  be  desired  in  each  appli- 
cant, and  likewise  those  to  be  avoided. 

A  careful  reading  of  the  text-books  of  the 
Harmonic  Series  will  disclose,  to  any  intelli- 
gent reader  and  student,  the  fact  that  the 
underlying  and  fundamental  principles  upon 
which  the  Great  School  and  its  Great  Work 
are  established  are,  in  their  most  vital  essen- 
tials, diametrically  opposed  by  the  under- 
lying and  fundamental  principles  upon  which 
the  Catholic  Church  [as  an  institution]  and 
its  educational  work  among  mankind  are 
established. 

This  great  underlying  difference  in  prin- 
ciple is  so  basic  and  so  irreconcilable  that  it 
must  be  clearly  and  definitely  understood  by 
every  accredited  Representative  of  the  School 
before  it  is  possible  for  him  or  her  to  under- 
stand what   constitutes    The   Spirit    of   the 


18  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

Work,  or  know  when  an  applicant  is  in  align- 
ment with  that  Spirit  and  when  he  or  she  is 
duly  qualified  for  admittance  as  a  student. 

In  order  that  the  readers  of  Life  and 
Action  may  follow  this  subject  intelligently 
and  understand  how  irreconcilably  the  two 
Schools  are  opposed  to  each  other  on  the  ba- 
sis of  fundamental  and  vital  principles,  let 
me  again  ask  my  readers  to  refer  to  the  text 
of  the  Harmonic  Series.  This  time  I  am 
going  to  ask  you  to  turn  to  the  chapter  in 
^^The  Great  Psychological  Crime^^  [Vol.  II 
of  H.  S.j  entitled  ^^Admonitions  and  Sug- 
gestions;" and  under  section  IX  of  that 
chapter,  addressed  especially  **To  Master 
MasonSy^^  begin  at  page  385,  commencing 
with  the  third  paragraph,  which  is  in  these 
words : 

^^From  the  dawn  of  civilization  to  the  pres- 
ent moment,  two  active  and  opposing  forces 
have  been  engaged  in  deadly  conflict  over  the 
destiny  of  human  intelligence,^^ 

Read  carefully  and  without  prejudice  to 
the  end  of  the  chapter.  Therein  you  will  find 
a  most  careful,  comprehensive,  complete  and 
exact  statement  of  the  vital  and  fundamental 
principles  upon  which  the  two  Schools  are 
established  and  for  which  they  stand  today; 
and  these  are  so  arrayed  as  to  enable  you  to 


THE  SPIRIT  OP  THE  WORK.  19 

understand  perfectly  why  it  is  that  the  great 
Church  of  Eome  is  to-day,  as  is  has  been  dur- 
ing its  entire  history,  the  bitter,  implacable 
and  irreconcilable  enemy  of  the  Great  School 
and  of  all  that  it  stands  for ;  and  why  it  is  the 
equally  bitter  and  implacable  enemy  of  the 
Masonic  Fraternity  to-day,  for  the  destruc- 
tion of  which  the  Knights  of  Columbus  are 
working  with  all  their  intelligence  and  power 
unceasingly. 

With  this  clearly  fixed  in  mind,  you  will 
understand  perfectly  why  it  is  that  no  ac- 
credited member  or  representative  of  the 
Church  of  Eome  ever  could,  at  the  same  time, 
become  a  consistent  Student  or  accredited 
Eepresentative  of  this  School. 

You  will  then  have  the  key  which  explains 
why  it  is  that  every  applicant  for  admittance 
to  this  School,  and  for  its  gratuitous  instruc- 
tion, is  questioned  by  the  Students  and  ac- 
credited Eepresentatives  of  this  School,  most 
searchingly  and  critically,  as  to  his  or  her 
past  and  present  philosophic  and  religious 
affiliations  and  education,  and  even  present 
religious  leanings  and  sympathies. 

It  is  solely  for  the  purpose  of  guarding  this 
present  movement  of  the  Great  School 
against  the  fatal  mistake  of  opening  its  doors 
to  its  natural  enemies  who  are  seeking  by 


20  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

every  possible  means — regardless  of  every 
principle  of  common  honesty,  morality,  or 
good  faith — to  plant  their  spies  in  the  very 
heart  of  the  movement,  and  through  their  un- 
scrupulous cunning  there  to  sow  the  seeds 
of  disintegration  and  foster  them  and  culti- 
vate them  until,  in  due  time,  they  shall  de- 
stroy the  entire  movement,  root  and  branch. 

This  may  appear  to  some  [who  are,  as  yet, 
unacquainted  with  the  methods  employed  by 
our  enemies]  as  a  harsh  statement.  But  to 
those  who  have  followed  their  foot-prints 
through  the  devious  ways  of  their  past  his- 
tory, and  studied  the  methods  by  which  they 
have  disintegrated  almost  every  movement 
which  has  had  for  its  purpose  the  education 
of  the  masses  in  the  lines  of  progress  and 
the  establishment  of  individual  human  Lib- 
erty, it  is  but  a  simple  statement  of  facts 
which  all  men  may  verify,  if  they  will  but 
study  the  subject  with  an  open  and  unpreju- 
diced mind. 

The  files  of  my  personal  correspondence, 
during  the  last  ten  years,  contain  the  abso- 
lute proofs  of  the  fact  that,  in  spite  of  the 
quiet  and  unobtrusive  manner  in  which  the 
Great  Work  in  America  has  been  carried  for- 
ward, it  has  not  escaped  the  attention  of  the 
militant  branch  of  the  Church  of  Rome  [the 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  21 

Society  of  Jesns,  known  the  world  over  as  the 
^^  Jesuits 'n. 

Attempt  after  attempt  has  been  made  by 
that  most  perfectly  organized  institution  on 
earth,  to  obtain  passports  for  its  spies  to 
enter  our  ranks,  solely  that  they  might 
know  what  we  are  doing,  study  our  methods, 
gather  all  the  knowledge  of  our  plans  pos- 
sible, and  report  them  to  their  absolute 
Master,  ^'TJie  Black  Pope''  [General  of  their 
Order]  and  through  him  to  the  Vatican  at 
Eome. 

One  instance  alone,  among  the  many  that 
have  failed,  will  be  sufficient  to  suggest  the 
lengths  to  which  they  are  prepared  to  go  to 
accomplish  their  ends : 

A  professor  in  one  of  the  leading  colleges 
of  Europe  came  to  this  country  and  sought 
to  gain  admittance  to  our  ranks.  He  came 
in  the  guise  of  a  liberal  and  progressive  edu- 
cator. In  order  to  prove  his  good  faith  [?] 
he  obtained  from  one  of  our  most  eminent 
professors  of  psychology  in  Columbia  Uni- 
versity, a  letter  of  introduction  [given  by 
one  of  my  nearest  and  dearest  personal 
friends  to  the  Columbian  professor,  intro- 
ducing him  —  the  Columbian  professor  —  to 
me],  and  on  the  strength  of  that  letter 
sought  to  ingratiate  himself  into  my  confi- 
dence. 

An   interesting   correspondence   followed, 


22  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

between  the  eminent  foreign  professor  and 
myself,  and  in  this  his  extreme  *^  clever- 
ness'' was  the  thing  that  betrayed  him.  His 
application  was  rejected,  and  under  the  im- 
pulse of  anger  and  resentment  the  true  spirit 
of  the  Jesuit  disclosed  itself  in  all  its  propor- 
tions in  his  reply  to  my  last  letter  in  which  I 
explained  why  he  could  not  possibly  become 
a  consistent  student  and  representative  of 
this  School,  and  at  the  same  time  belong  to 
the  Order  of  Jesuits. 

This  is  but  one  of  many  attempts  that  have 
been  made  to  gain  admittance  into  our  Stu- 
dent ranks,  by  members  of  that  secret  re- 
ligious society.  And  their  purposes  are  al- 
ways the  same — to  betray  the  School  and  its 
Work,  sow  the  seeds  of  disintegration  in  our 
midst,  and  ultimately  to  work  the  disintegra- 
tion and  destruction  of  the  movement. 

Thus  far  they  have  failed.  Whether  they 
shall  succeed  better  in  future  will  depend  en- 
tirely upon  the  care  and  watchfulness  of  our 
Students  and  accredited  Eepresentatives 
upon  whom  rests  the  heavy  responsibility  of 
determining  the  qualifications  of  those  who 
knock  at  the  door  of  the  School  and  ask  to 
be  admitted. 

Knowing  full  well  in  advance  the  ulterior 
motives  and  purposes  of  these  enemies  of 


m. 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  23 

our  School  and  Work,  we  have  taken,  and  are 
taking,  every  precaution  possible  to  guard 
the  movement  against  the  mistakes  of  past 
history. 

The  present  inertia  of  the  Masonic  Frater- 
nity with  reference  to  all  matters  of  public 
interest  wherein  the  political  purposes  and 
ambitions  of  the  Catholic  Church  are  in- 
volved, is  due  very  largely  to  the  subtle  influ- 
ence of  its  Jesuit  members.  The  Masonic 
Order  does  not  exclude  Catholic  members, 
even  though  the  Catholic  Church  condemns 
Masonry  as  the  work  of  the  Devil. 

I  am  well  aware  of  the  fact  that  there  are 
many  who  are  entitled  to  be  considered 
honest  members  of  the  Masonic  Fraternity, 
who  will  discredit  the  foregoing  statements. 
This  is  perfectly  natural,  and  to  be  expected ; 
for  it  is  only  the  exceptional  Mason  who 
knows  that  in  every  Masonic  Lodge  where 
such  a  thing  is  possible,  at  least  one  Jesuit 
holds  active  membership.  And  since  the 
principles  of  Freemasonry  teach  tolerance 
of  all  religions,  and  respect  for  all  religious 
beliefs,  there  are  no  prohibitive  bars  against 
Catholics,  any  more  than  against  Methodists, 
Presbyterians,  Baptists  or  members  of  any 
other  religious  sect.    So  far  as  Masonry  is 


24  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

concerned  the  door  of  the  Lodge  is  as  wide 
open  to  a  Jesuit  as  to  any  other  individual. 

And  since  the  methods  of  the  Jesuits  are 
secret,  and  their  real  purposes  in  the  Masonic 
Order  concealed,  it  is  but  natural  that  their 
presence  in  the  Lodges  everywhere  is  unob- 
served. There  is  no  test  as  to  qualifications 
of  applicants  for  Masonic  degrees  that  would 
disclose  their  presence  nor  bar  their  progress 
in  the  Order.  For  these  reasons  they  do  not 
advertise  themselves  in  the  Lodge  as  Jesuits, 
and  they  studiously  avoid  whatever  would  at- 
tract special  attention  to  them  in  that  ca- 
pacity. 

But  whenever  measures  of  any  kind  are 
proposed  in  any  of  the  Masonic  Lodges  to 
which  they  belong  which  could  have  any 
bearing  upon  the  Catholic  Church,  or  upon 
its  political  plans  or  methods,  these  Jesuit 
members  in  the  Masonic  Lodges  make  it  their 
special  business  to  exercise  all  the  influence 
possible  to  prevent  the  Lodges  from  adopt- 
ing any  measures  inimical  to  the  interests  or 
purposes  of  the  Church. 

This  silent  and  subtle  and  secret  Jesuitical 
influence  is  being  exercised  within  the  body 
of  virtually  every  Masonic  Lodge  in  Chicago, 
and  I  am  convinced  that  the  same  is  true  in 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  25 

every  other  city  of  any  size  or  importance 
throughout  the  entire  country. 

As  above  suggested,  the  vast  majority  of 
even  our  best  and  most  intelligent  Brother 
Masons,  are  entirely  asleep  on  this  question. 
fThe  methods  of  the  Jesuits  are  such  as  to 
keep  them  asleep  just  as  long  as  possible. 
Any  effort  to  arouse  them  and  induce  them 
to  inform  themselves  on  the  subject  of  what 
the  Church  is  doing,  is  at  once  counteracted 
and  discredited  by  these  Jesuit  members  in 
the  Lodges  who  are  there  for  that  specific 
purpose. 

Even  at  a  time  like  the  present,  when  the 
Church  is  bending  its  every  energy  to  domi- 
nate the  political  powers  of  our  government, 
to  discredit  our  Public  Schools,  to  secure 
state  support  of  their  own  religious  schools, 
and  through  every  possible  channel  of  influ- 
ence they  can  exert  to  carry  out  the  command 
of  their  pope  to  ^^Make  America  CatholiCy^^ 
they  have  been  able  to  keep  many  of  our 
good  Masons  asleep  and  inactive  thus  far, 
and  they  will  do  so  as  much  longer  as  pos- 
sible and  for  the  same  reasons. 

Bead  carefully  the  following  extract  from 
an  address  of  Archbishop  Quigley  to  the  fed- 
erated societies  of  German  Catholics,  no 
longer  ago  than  the  11th  of  September,  1911. 


26  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

Among  many  other  things  of  significant 
importance  he  said : 

**The  question  confronting  this  organiza- 
tion is  what  to  do  about  the  dangers  that  are 
now  threatening  Christianity  in  this  coun- 
try. In  France  and  Portugal  the  Catholic 
Church  was  defeated  and  persecuted  because 
the  Catholics  were  not  organized.  Although 
there  were  thousands  of  devout  and  loyal 
Catholics  who  would  have  given  their  lives  if 
need  be  for  conscience  sake,  they  were  merely 
a  mob  without  leadership  and  were  defeated. 

^'I  want  to  say  that  when  the  time  comes 
in  this  country,  as  it  surely  will  come,  and 
the  same  forces  attack  the  Church  here  they 
will  not  find  us  unprepared  or  unorganized 
and  they  shall  not  prevail, 

*^We  have  well-ordered  and  efficient  organi- 
zations, all  at  the  heck  and  nod  of  the  hier- 
archy and  ready  to  do  what  the  Church 
authorities  tell  them  to  do.  With  these  bodies 
of  loyal  Catholics  ready  to  step  in  the  breach 
at  any  time  and  present  an  unbroken  front 
to  the  enemy,  we  may  feel  secure/'  [Italics 
are  mine.] 

The  foregoing  is  taken  from  the  Chicago 
Record-Herald  of  September  11th  last;  and 
yet,  not  a  single  mention  of  it  has  appeared 
in    any    Chicago    paper    since.     The    para- 


m^ 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  27 

graphs  set  in  Italics  are  those  to  which  I  de- 
sire to  call  especial  attention.  What  do  they 
mean?  To  what ''/^^c^^'' do  they  refer?  To 
whom  do  they  refer  as  the  ^^ enemy/'  to 
whom  they  are  preparing  to  '^present  an  un- 
broken frontV^ 

In  order  to  answer  these  questions  it  is  nec- 
essary to  know  something  of  the  history  of 
the  recent  conflicts  between  the  Catholic 
Church  and  the  two  nations  to  which  the 
archbishop  refers,  namely,  France  and  Por- 
tugal. But  there  is  a  definite  and  complete 
answer  to  each  of  these  questions.  The  rever- 
end prelate  knew  exactly  to  what  forces  and 
to  whom  he  refers  in  this  country.  And  if 
any  reader  of  this  magazine  desires  to  know, 
it  will  require  but  a  little  of  his  time  and 
effort  to  find  out. 

If  I  should  mention  them  in  this  article, 
more  than  likely  my  statements  would  be 
questioned,  even  by  some  of  the  Students  of 
this  School.  And  I  do  not  desire  to  be  con- 
sidered a  fanatic,  nor  an  alarmist. 

My  effort  has  been,  and  is,  and  shall  con- 
tinue to  be,  to  carry  forward  the  Work  of  the 
Great  School  in  America.  To  that  my  entire 
life  is  dedicated  and  consecrated.  It  is  a 
work  of  Education.  I  do  not  expect  nor  de- 
sire that  my  Students,  nor  the  Friends  of 


28  THE  SPIRIT  OP  THE  WORK. 

this  Work,  blindly  accept  my  statements 
alone  and  unsupported.  But  it  does  appear 
to  me  that  I  have  the  moral  right  to  expect 
of  those  who  are  receiving  a  gratuitous  in- 
struction [entirely  unsolicited  by  me]  the 
courtesy  of  such  consideration  as  would  im- 
pel them  to  make  a  most  careful  and  con- 
scientious investigation  and  study  of  the 
subject  before  they  volunteer  to  question  the 
accuracy  of  my  statements  on  a  subject  of 
such  vital  importance. 

It  has  come  back  to  me,  in  a  manner  that 
would  seem  to  be  authentic,  that  there  are 
some,  at  least,  of  those  who  now  occupy  the 
confidential  relation  of  Students  and  accred- 
ited Eepresentatives  of  the  School,  by  virtue 
of  my  action, — ^who,  nevertheless,  discredit 
my  position  and  my  statements  with  refer- 
ence to  this  subject  of  Catholicism  and  the 
relation  of  the  Church  to  our  civil,  political 
and  educational  institutions. 

Does  this  mean  that  the  Jesuit  is  already 
in  our  midst,  and  by  his  subtle  suggestions  is 
planting  the  seeds  of  distrust  and  disintegra- 
tion? Let  me  say  here  and  now,  that  if  at 
any  time  I  have  made  or  shall  make  any 
statements  in  my  position  as  a  Eepresenta- 
tive  of  the  Great  School  which  are  not  true, 
or  which  any  of  my  Students  and  accredited 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  29 

Representatives  cannot  accept  or  credit,  they 
owe  it  to  me,  to  the  School,  to  the  Great 
Work,  and  to  themselves,  to  come  straight  to 
me  with  their  doubts. 

And  before  they  give  expression  to  any 
dissent  which  would  have  the  effect  to  dis- 
credit any  statement  I  have  made,  or  any 
position  I  have  taken,  they  also  owe  it  to 
themselves,  as  well  as  to  the  Cause  of  Truth, 
if  not  to  me,  to  make  a  careful  and  exhaustive 
study  of  the  subject,  with  the  Facts  before 
them.  In  justice  to  all  the  interests  for* 
which  they  stand,  they  cannot  afford  to  set 
in  motion  counter,  or  cross-currents,  within 
the  very  heart  of  this  movement,  without 
having  at  hand  the  Facts  to  justify  them  in 
so  doing.  And  even  then,  it  would  be  the 
part  of  common  courtesy  and  consideration 
and  in  line  with  the  Spirit  of  the  Work  if 
they  would  come  to  me  frankly  first,  and  give 
me  the  benefit  of  their  views,  together  with 
all  the  facts  at  their  command,  before  they 
express  themselves  to  others,  and  thus  set  in 
motion  the  disintegrating  influence  of  doubt. 

In  this  connection  let  me  say,  for  the  bene- 
fit of  the  Students  and  Friends  of  the  Work, 
as  well  as  for  the  readers  of  Life  and  Action, 
that  I  do  not  assume  nor  profess  to  be  '* infal- 
lible *',    But  I  am  not  given  to  the  destruc- 


30  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

tive  habit  of  making  rash  statements.  It  is 
one  of  the  rules  of  my  life,  never  to  make  a 
definite  and  positive  statement  for  which  I 
have  not  either  the  Facts  or  what  I  believe  to 
be  the  best  of  evidence  accessible.  But  if,  by 
any  chance,  I  may  be  at  fault  in  any  state- 
ment or  position,  I  invite  any  Friend  to  call 
my  attention  to  my  error  frankly  and  person- 
ally. Any  Student  Friend  who  approaches 
me  in  the  spirit  of  courtesy  and  friendship 
will  find  me  always  grateful  for  any  help  he 
can  offer  me. 

And  now,  in  conclusion,  let  me  once  more 
emphasize  the  fact  that  there  is  not  in  my 
own  heart,  mind,  Soul  nor  Consciousness,  the 
remotest  feeling  of  ^^ bitterness^ ^  nor  *^ ha- 
tred''  against  the  Catholic  Eeligion,  nor 
against  any  individual  member  of  that 
Church. 

Although  no  less  than  seven  different  and 
carefully  planned  attempts  upon  my  own  life 
have  been  made  during  the  last  two  years, 
every  one  of  which  I  have  reason  to  believe 
was  inspired  by  the  enemies  of  this  School 
and  Movement,  it  is  nevertheless  true  that  I 
count  among  my  personal  and  esteemed 
Friends  some  of  the  most  intelligent  members- 
of  the  Catholic  Church,  and  that  I  respect 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  31 

with  all  my  soul  the  religions  convictions  of 
every  honest  commnnicant  of  that  Church. 

But  because  of  the  fact  that  the  principles 
at  the  foundation  of  Eoman  Catholicism, 
more  especially  Eoman  Clericalism,  are  dia- 
metrically opposed  to  those  of  the  Great 
School  for  which  I  stand,  I  am  bound  by 
every  principle  of  Consistency  and  common 
Justice,  to  use  every  legitimate  and  honora- 
ble means  at  my  command  to  protect  the 
School  and  the  Work  against  the  admittance 
of  accredited  members  of  that  Church  into 
our  active  fellowship  as  Students  and  accred- 
ited Eepresentatives. 

In  the  discharge  of  this  responsibility  every 
Student  and  Eepresentative,  who  is  asked  to 
help  me  in  the  work  of  determining  the  quali- 
fications of  applicants  for  studentship,  is  in- 
structed to  exercise  the  utmost  care  and  cau- 
tion against  recommending  the  admittance  of 
any  communicant  of  the  Catholic  Church. 

To  this  end,  my  helpers  are  asked  to  take 
all  the  time  necessary  to  become  personally 
and  intimately  acquainted  with  every  appli- 
cant sent  to  them  for  examination  and  the 
*  ^  preliminary  try-out ' '. 

In  their  efforts  to  follow  out  these  instruc- 
tions, it  is  not  impossible  that  some  of  them 
may  have  betrayed  a  character  of  zeal  and 


32  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

earnestness  which  has  been  misinterpreted  as 
** bitterness'',  and  possibly  ** hatred''  against 
the  Catholic  Church,  and  against  those  who 
are  active  members  thereof. 

But  if  this  be  true,  the  impression  which 
their  zeal  has  led  them  to  make  is  not  in  line 
with  the  Spirit  of  the  Work,  and  is  deeply  to 
be  regretted  and  deplored.  There  is  no  room 
for  ''hatred''  nor  ''bitterness''  in  the  Soul  of 
any  consistent  Student  of  the  Great  School, 
against  any  individual  on  account  of  his  or 
her  religion  or  membership  in  any  Church  or 
Order. 

The  rigid  manner  in  which  the  lady  appli- 
cant [referred  to  in  the  first  part  of  this  ar- 
ticle] was  questioned  by  the  Students  and 
Eepresentatives  to  whom  she  was  sent  for 
the  personal  meeting  and  acquaintance,  was 
doubtless  due  to  something  within  herself.  In 
fact,  I  am  assured  that  she  answered  their 
questions  in  such  manner  as  to  leave  an  im- 
pression of  doubt  in  the  minds  of  some  of 
them  as  to  her  real  position. 

But  even  so,  in  just  so  far  as  her  question- 
ers impressed  her  with  the  feeling  that  they 
were  actuated  by  *^ hatred"  or  *' bitterness" 
they  were  in  error,  and  they  should  take  the 
lesson  home  and  make  of  it  a  stepping-stone 
to  higher,  better  and  nobler  things. 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  33 

If  ** bitterness''  or  *^ hatred''  exists  at  all, 
let  it  be  in  the  hearts  and  souls  of  our  ene- 
mies, but  not  in  ours. 

Bitterness  and  hatred  are  but  phases  of 
Anger,  Anger  is  one  of  the  most  destructive 
psychological  agencies  in  all  the  realms  of 
human  nature. 

It  is  immeasurably  more  destructive  to 
those  who  harbor  it  than  to  those  against 
whom  it  is  directed. 

So  true  is  this  that  it  has  come  to  be  rec- 
ognized as  almost  an  axiom,  that  the  surest 
method  of  destroying  an  enemy  is  to  make 
him  angry,  and  he  will  thus  destroy  himself. 

The  same  truth  is  but  emphasized  in  the 
saying  of  the  ancients,  that : 

**Whom  the  gods  would  destroy  they  first 
make  mad" — that  is,  angry. 

In  conclusion,  let  it  be  remembered  by  all 
who  read  these  words,  that  no  man  or  woman 
who  exemplifies  the  spirit  of  ^* bitterness",  or 
** hatred",  or  any  other  phase  of  ** Anger"  in 
his  or  her  attitude  toward  others,  is  in  any 
sense  a  consistent  Eepresentative  of  the 
Great  School,  or  its  Work. 

Any  Student  or  Friend  of  the  Work  who 
conveys  the  impression  of  ** bitterness"  or 
** hatred"  toward  individual  Catholics,  or  the 
Catholic  Eeligion — as  such — is  not  thereby,  in 


34  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

any  sense,  exemplifying  the  ^'Spirit  of  the 
Work^';  nor  is  he  thereby  reflecting  credit 
upon  either  himself,  his  Instructor  or  his  In- 
struction. 

Have  I  made  the  subject  clear?  If  not,  I 
shall  be  glad  to  give  any  phase  of  it  further 
consideration  in  response  to  requests  from 
any  Student  or  Friend  of  the  Work  who  may 
desire  further  information. 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  35 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

No.  2. 

As  the  months  and  the  years  are  left  be- 
hind us  in  the  onward  journey  of  life,  this 
little  magazine,  Life  and  Action,  becomes 
more  and  more  a  necessity. 

Since  the  heavy  burden  of  the  Women's  De- 
partment has  been  added  to  my  own  personal 
work,  the  multiplied  responsibilities  would 
make  it  impossible  for  me  to  meet  the  de- 
mands upon  me  but  for  the  willingness  of  this 
little  ^* Messenger  Boy**  to  carry  to  my  Stu- 
dents, Friends  and  Helpers  the  messages  it 
is  necessary  for  me  to  send  to  them  in  the  in- 
terests of  the  Cause. 

The  Movement  has  entirely  outgrown  the 
possibilities  of  the  personal  correspondence. 
Therefore,  if  I  am  to  keep  in  personal  touch 
with  the  Students,  Instructors,  Examiners 
and  Helpers  who  are  helping  me  to  carry  for- 
ward the  enormous  work  of  this  ^^  Traveling 
University^ ^  of  the  Great  School,  I  must  ex- 
cuse myself  from  the  personal  correspond- 


36  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

ence,  just  as  far  as  it  is  possible  to  do  so 
without  serious  detriment  to  the  Cause  itself. 

And  I  must  ask  my  Students  and  Helpers, 
one  and  all,  to  release  me  from  the  responsi- 
bility of  carrying  on  further  correspondence 
with  them  by  letter,  and  permit  me  to  avail 
myself  of  the  friendly  offices  of  Life  and  Ac- 
Hon,  just  as  far  as  that  may  be  possible  in  a 
work  of  this  nature. 

Naturally,  there  will  always  be  an  occa- 
sional letter  from  the  Students  and  Instruc- 
tors in  the  field,  that  will  demand  a  personal 
response  from  me.  I  shall  hope  always  to 
be  able  to  meet  this  demand ;  but  I  am  asking 
each  and  all  of  the  Friends  to  make  the  de- 
mand for  personal  letters  just  as  light  as  the 
interests  of  the  Work  committed  to  their  care 
will  permit. 

I  do  not  want  you,  however,  to  miss  any- 
thing thereby.  On  the  contrary,  I  am  only 
asking  that  you  permit  me  to  make  use  of  the 
**good  offices"  of  this  little  magazine,  to  an- 
swer just  as  many  of  your  questions  and  prob- 
lems as  may  be  possible. 

In  so  doing  others  than  the  individual  cor- 
respondent and  questioner  will  obtain  an 
added  benefit,  in  that  many  of  your  own  ques- 
tions will  be  of  interest  and  value  to  others 
than  yourself.    By  using  the  magazine,  there- 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  37 

fore,  I  shall  hope  to  reach  a  much  larger  num- 
ber than  I  could  possibly  hope  to  do  by  per- 
sonal letter. 

^^In  order  that  none  may  go  away  dissatis- 
fied *^  let  me  suggest  that  whenever  any  ques- 
tion arises  in  connection  with  the  School  or 
the  Work,  to  which  an  authoritative  answer 
seems  to  you  of  serious  importance,  I  shall 
be  glad  if  you  will  formulate  it  as  carefully 
and  exactly  as  possible,  so  that  I  shall  have 
no  difficulty  in  determining  exactly  what  the 
question  or  problem  is,  and  send  it  to  the 
''Editor-in-Chief'^  of  this  magazine. 

By  that  fact  alone  I  shall  know  that  you 
give  me  permission  to  answer  you  through 
the  columns  of  Life  and  Action,  at  as  early 
a  date  as  may  be  possible. 

All  questions  which  come  to  me  in  that  man- 
ner will  be  placed  at  once  in  my  ''Question 
Box'\  and  will  receive  my  attention  in  the 
magazine,  as  early  as  possible,  and  in  the  or- 
der of  their  seeming  importance. 

Since  the  departure  of  my  blessed  and  be- 
loved Companion  and  Helper,  **the  EA.", 
many  of  my  most  voluminous  correspondents 
have  refrained  from  writing  me,  solely  be- 
cause of  their  desire  not  to  make  demands 
upon  my  time  or  vitality,  under  existing  con- 
ditions and  circumstances. 


38  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

I  want  them  to  know  that  I  understand  and 
appreciate  their  generous  consideration,  and 
I  thank  them,  one  and  all,  from  the  depths  of 
an  appreciative  nature  and  a  heart  that  is 
weary  with  the  unremitting  strain  of  a  Work 
and  a  responsibility  that  have  no  end. 

I  want  them  also  to  know  that  I  miss  their 
interesting  and  friendly  letters,  and  even 
though  I  commend  them  for  their  generous 
consideration,  nevertheless,  it  calls  for  the 
practice  of  a  real  and  stern  self-denial  on  my 
part  thus  to  sacrifice  the  personal  touch  and 
the  expressions  of  personal  friendship,  all  of 
which  have  meant  so  much  to  me. 

In  the  last  issue  of  Life  and  Action^  under 
the  same  title  which  this  letter  bears,  viz.: 
^^The  Spirit  of  the  Work^\  I  tried  to  make 
clear  the  position  of  the  School  on  the  sub- 
ject of  the  Eoman  Catholic  Church  and  its 
religion.  I  trust  I  have  omitted  nothing  in 
that  article  which  is  necessary  to  enable  all 
who  read  it  carefully,  to  know  that  there  is 
neither  ** bitterness '*  nor  *' hatred*'  on  the 
part  of  the  School  toward  either  the  Church, 
its  religion  or  its  members. 

It  has  come  to  me  that  there  is  another  sub- 
ject of  vital  importance  concerning  which 
some  one  in  authority  should  speak,  and  speak 
with  no  uncertain  sound,  and  with  such  em- 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  39 

phasis  as  may  be  necessary  to  impress  every 
Student  and  Friend  of  the  Work  who  shall 
follow  me  through  the  columns  of  Life  and 
Action. 

I  hear  my  readers,  at  this  point,  saying — 
**What  is  he  going  to  give  us  for  our  next 
lesson f — Listen;  its  subject  is:^ — 

Personal  Criticism. 

How  do  you  like  it!  How  does  it  strike 
you?  Are  you  the  individual  referred  to? 
**r)oes  the  shoe  fit!"  Are  you  guilty,  or  not 
guilty?  Be  honest  now — ^honest  with  me, 
with  the  School  and  with  yourself. 

I  want  to  make  this  a  ^^  Soul-Searcher *\ — 
one  that  will  impel  every  accredited  Student 
and  Friend  of  the  Work  to  turn  the  Search- 
Light  of  Conscience  upon  himself,  or  herself, 
as  the  case  may  be ;  and,  under  the  X-Eay  of 
Rational  Intelligence,  locate  every  fracture  or 
lesion  in  his  or  her  mental  and  Moral  Consti- 
tution. 

For  almost  29  years  I  have  been  identified 
with  the  Work  of  the  Great  School  in  this 
country.  During  all  that  time  I  have  been 
charged  with  the  Personal  Responsibilities  of 
an  ** Accredited  Representative*',  and  have 
been  endeavoring,  to  the  best  of  my  ability, 


40  THE  SPIRIT  OP  THE  WORK. 

to  discharge  the  same  in  such  manner  as  not 
to  disappoint  the  Great  Friends  nor  in  any 
manner  misrepresent  the  real  ''Spirit  of  the 
Worh'\  It  has  been  no  easy  task,  as  most 
of  you  can  well  understand  and  appreciate, 
from  your  own  personal  experiences  and  en- 
deavors in  parallel  lines. 

During  about  one-half  of  that  period,  last 
past,  I  have  been  directly  associated  with  a 
small  but  steadily  growing  Group  of  fellow 
Students  and  Friends  of  the  Work  here  in 
Chicago,  known  to  each  other  as  ''The  Old 
Group'' — sometimes  as  the  "Central  Group", 

My  association  with  this  Central  Group  of 
Students  has  been  one  of  close  personal 
friendships,  and  on  my  own  part  has  been 
inspired,  at  every  step  of  the  way,  with  the 
deep  and  earnest  desire  to  be  of  service  to 
them  in  their  efforts  to  fit  themselves  the  bet- 
ter to  discharge  the  mutual  responsibilities 
and  duties  of  *^  Accredited  Students  and  Eep- 
resentatives ' '  of  the  Great  School. 

There  have  also  been  with  me  the  conscious 
and  ever-present  motive,  impulse  and  desire 
to  be  of  service  to  the  School  and  the  Move- 
ment it  has  inaugurated  in  this  country. 

To  these  direct  and  definite  ends,  the  per- 
sonal responsibility  has  been  placed  upon  me, 
of  giving  to  each  and  all  of  the  members  of 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  41 

this  Central  Group  the  benefit  of  such  knowl- 
edge as  I  have  myself  received  from  the  Great 
Friends,  as  far  as  the  individual  Students 
have  been  able  to  prove  that  they  are  duly 
and  truly  prepared,  worthy  and  well  qualified 
to  receive  the  same. 

From  the  day  that  Dr.  Webster  made  ap- 
plication for  admittance  as  a  regular  Stu- 
dent, and  asked  for  instruction  as  such,  al- 
most 15  years  ago,  it  has  been  my  constant 
endeavor  and  unwavering  purpose  to  educate 
a  Central  Group  in  the  knowledge  of  Natural 
Science  and  the  principles  of  the  Harmonic 
Philosophy,  to  a  point  where  they  should  be 
able  to  exemplify  in  their  daily  Life  and  Con- 
duct the  real '' Spirit  of  the  Work'\ 

From  the  day  of  my  induction  into  the 
Great  School  to  the  present  time  it  has  been 
clear  to  me  that  the  time  would  come,  as  in- 
evitably as  the  march  of  Destiny,  when  such 
a  Group,  so  educated  in  the  Work  and  so 
trained  in  the  Living  of  the  Life,  and  in  the 
exemplification  of  the  principles  of  the  Ethi- 
cal Formulary,  would  become  one  of  the  vital 
necessities  to  the  success  of  the  Great  Work 
in  America, 


42  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 


That  Time  Has  Come! 

Are  you  of  the  Old  Group,  the  Central 
Group,  who  have  been  in  special  training  for 
that  enormous,  yet  splendid  responsibility, 
ready  to  assume  the  duties  involved  in  such 
a  position  and  in  such  a  relation  to  each 
other,  to  the  School,  to  your  Students,  and 
to  the  world  at  large  ? 

Stop  and  think — think  long  and  deeply  and 
carefully — before  you  attempt  to  answer  the 
question. 

And  while  I  am  making  the  application  di- 
rectly, what  of  those  of  you  who  are  not  of 
the  Old  Group?  Are  you  prepared  to  step 
into  the  places  of  those  of  the  Old  Group  who 
shall  not  be  able  to  rise  to  the  emergency? 
Think  well  on  this  subject,  for  there  is  no 
question  but  that  you  shall  have  the  opportu- 
nity to  be  tried  and  tested  as  to  your  fitness 
and  ability  to  carry  just  such  a  burden,  and 
that  in  the  not  distant  future. 

And  let  me  give  you  a  gentle  hint  that  may 
be  of  service  to  you  in  helping  you  to  deter- 
mine your  own  status,  and  wherein  it  is  more 
than  likely  you  will  find  yourself  wanting. 
Here  is  at  least  one  of  the  Tests  the  Great 
School  and  the  Great  Friends  will  apply  to 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  43 

you,  and  demand  that  you  be  able  to  pass 
successfully,  namely: — 

Have  you  reached  a  point  in  your  own  un- 
foldment  and  spiritual  development  where 
you  have  absolutely  overcome  the  critical  at- 
titude of  mind  and  soul  toward  each  and  all 
of  your  associates  in  the  School?  This  in- 
cludes not  only  the  members  of  your  own 
Group,  but  ALL  the  Students  and  Friends  of 
the  Work. 

Have  you  absolutely  overcome  the  destruc- 
tive habit  of  *  *  Criticism ' '  1  Have  you  yet  ar- 
rived at  that  point  in  the  lines  of  your  own 
personal  psychic  unf oldment  where  there  is 
no  longer  any  pleasure  or  satisfaction  in 
mentally  picking  to  pieces  the  characters  of 
your  fellow  Students  and  Friends  of  the 
Work,  and  seeing  how  many  reprehensible 
characteristics  you  can  find? 

linot,  then  you  can  mark  it  down  as  one  of 
the  inevitable  and  indubitable  Facts,  that  you 
will  never  pass  the  Tests  which  the  School 
has  in  store  for  you. 

Have  you  absolutely  ceased  to  say  uncom- 
plimentary things  to  others  concerning  your 
fellow  Students  and  Friends  of  the  Work 
other  than  those  to  whom  you  talk,  or  other 
than  yourself? 

If  not,  then  let  me  drop  the  friendly  sug- 


44  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

gestion,  that  you  will  save  yourself  embar- 
rassment by  keeping  in  the  background  and 
remaining  under  as  heavy  and  thick  a  ^'man- 
tle of  obscurity''  as  you  can  find,  or  manufac- 
ture. 

There  is  scarcely  a  day  of  my  life  that  I 
do  not  find  myself  both  shocked  and  amazed 
by  the  things  that  come  back  to  me  from 
those  with  whom  it  has  been  my  privilege, 
as  well  as  pleasure,  to  associate  as  fellow  Stu- 
dents and  Laborers  in  the  Great  Cause  for 
which  the  School  stands — and  for  which  each 
one  of  us  ought  to  stand,  and  must  stand 
from  this  time  henceforth  and  forever. 

Within  the  last  ten  days  [from  the  date  of 
May  5,  1912,]  one  of  these  shocks  **took  me 
unawares",  as  it  were,  and  really  and  truly 
hurt  me — far  more  deeply  and  seriously  than 
I  like  to  admit.  But,  if  I  am  to  be  of  help  to 
you,  my  beloved  fellow  Students,  as  your  In- 
structor— and  through  you  serve  the  School 
and  the  Cause  wherein  we  all  have  accepted 
voluntary  commissions — then  I  must  come  to 
you  frankly  and  unreservedly,  with  all  mat- 
ters which  appear  to  me  to  involve  your  own 
personal  best  interests  as  well  as  those  of 
the  School  and  this  entire  Movement,  where- 
in we  occupy  the  position  and  relation  of  mu- 
tual Helpers  and  mutual  Servants,  in  the 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  45 

most  exalted  undertaking  that  ever  inspired 
men  and  women  to  action. 

It  comes  to  me  with  such  directness  and 
such  emphasis  as  to  compel  tentative  accep- 
tance, even  against  my  own  sincere  desire, 
that  in  the  direct  face  of  all  the  School  and 
Work  stand  for,  in  open  and  flagrant  viola- 
tion of  the  ''Spirit  of  the  Work'',  and  in  dis- 
tinct opposition  to  the  principles  I  have  en- 
deavored to  inculcate  in  all  my  instructions, 
the  ''Spirit  of  Criticism^ ^  has  broken  out  in 
our  midst,  and  in  such  manner  as  to  threaten 
the  life  of  the  Movement. 

Can  you  who  read  these  words  understand 
or  appreciate  what  this  must  mean  to  me,  af- 
ter having  spent  fifteen  years  of  hard,  inces- 
sant, gratuitous  and  enthusiastic  work  for 
the  education  and  upbuilding  of  a  Group  of 
** Helpers''  whose  splendid  and  self-imposed 
undertaking  is  that  of  Exentplifying  "The 
Spirit  of  the  Work''?  I  doubt  if  it  is  possi- 
ble for  you  to  get  the  full  force  with  which 
the  simple  but  unwelcome  truth  has  come  to 
me. 

Well  do  I  remember,  in  the  early  history  of 
our  Group  Work,  with  what  eagerness  and 
enthusiasm  the  members  of  our  little  band  of 
workers  came  together  each  week,  in  the 
home  of  the  dear  EA.,  to  study  the  lessons 


46  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

the  Lady  and  I  had  laid  out  for  them  all,  and 
solve  the  problems  we  had  carefully  formu- 
lated for  them. 

It  was  a  joy,  deep  and  profound,  to  us 
both,  to  note  the  unfeigned  earnestness  and 
deep  sincerity  with  which  each  and  every  one 
entered  into  the  very  heart  of  the  work. 

So  vital  did  it  all  seem  to  be  at  that  time, 
that  the  blessed  Lady,  in  her  quaint,  sweet 
way,  often  referred  to  the  lessons  as  our 
** Heavenly  Manna'',  our  ^* Spiritual  Food 
and  Drink",  and  such  other  designations  as 
clearly  indicated  the  deep  importance  which 
we  all  attached  to  the  work  in  hand. 

In  order  that  each  individual  might  grow 
naturally  into  a  thorough  understanding  of 
the  exact  meaning  of  the  Work  at  every  step 
of  the  way,  and  obtain  a  clear  and  definite 
knowledge  of  the  ^^ Spirit  of  the  Work^\  we 
dwelt  upon  each  and  every  Ethical  Principle 
of  the  General  Formulary  with  such  intensity 
and  such  freedom  as  to  time,  that  often  the 
consideration  of  a  single  principle,  in  all  its 
various  applications,  consumed  many  weeks 
of  time  and  the  most  earnest  personal  effort 
of  every  member  of  our  Group. 

I  remember  the  work  of  twelve  years  ago 
as  vividly  as  if  it  were  but  yesterday.  One 
of  our  most  important  subjects  under  consid- 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  47 

eration  at  those  meetings  was  that  of 
'^  Loyalty '^ 

I  had  asked  each  member  of  our  Group,  in 
the  first  place,  to  define  the  term  as  he  or  she 
understood  it  in  the  light  of  the  knowledge  of 
Natural  Science.  This  required  several  weeks 
of  hard  and  faithful  work.  There  were  six- 
teen of  us  then,  and  all  worked  with  such 
earnest  enthusiasm,  and  with  such  a  unity  of 
purpose  to  grasp  the  full  meaning  and  appli- 
cation of  every  principle,  that  I  had  every 
reason  to  believe  each  one  of  our  Group  was 
making  the  personal  application  of  each  prin- 
ciple to  his  or  her  own  daily  life  and  conduct. 

In  our  study  of  ** Loyalty" — as  it  should 
apply  to  and  affect  the  life  of  a  Student  of 
this  School,  in  his  relation  to  all  his  fellow 
Students  and  Friends  of  the  Work,  to  the 
School  as  such,  and  to  the  Cause  for  which  it 
stands,  and  likewise  to  this  particular  Move- 
ment designated  by  us  as  **The  Great  "Work 
in  America" — we  had  come  to  agree  upon  a 
number  of  elements  which  enter  into  the  ex- 
emplification of  Loyalty,  as  it  applies  to  Stu- 
dents of  this  Work. 

For  instance : — 

1.  We  agreed  that  there  were  at  least 
three  distinct  aspects  of  Loyalty,  as  it  ap- 
plies to  a  Student  of  this  School  and  Work. 


48  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

2.  We  agreed  that  one  of  these  is  its  ap- 
plication to  the  personal  relationship  of  Stu- 
dents with  each  other.  Another  is  its  appli- 
cation to  the  relation  of  the  Student  to  the 
Common  Cause  in  which  we  have  voluntarily 
enlisted.  The  third  is  its  application  to  the 
individual  Student  himself,  as  an  individual, 

3.  Under  the  first  head,  we  agreed  that 
we  must  be  Loyal  to  each  other;  that  the 
Loyalty  demanded  of  a  Student  of  this 
School,  and  in  this  Work,  is  such  that  any 
failure  to  exemplify  its  spirit  in  the  personal 
relation  of  Students  among  themselves,  could 
not  fail  to  result  in  harm  to  the  Cause,  and 
lead  to  a  misrepresentation  of  the  School  and 
its  Work, 

4.  In  making  the  application  of  this  Ethi- 
cal Principle  to  ourselves,  we  agreed  that  it 
absolutely  eliminates  '* Criticism**,  in  every 
aspect,  as  the  term  heretofore  generally  has 
been  understood  and  employed. 

5.  We  agreed  that  we  have  no  Moral 
Eight  to  criticise  any  of  our  fellow  Students 
to  any  other  of  our  number,  nor  to  engage 
among  ourselves  in  any  critical  discussion  or 
judgment  of  any  other  of  our  fellow  Stu- 
dents. In  other  words;  we  agreed  that  if, 
perchance,  we  should  come  to  feel  that  any 
one  of  our  number  had  fallen  into  ways — 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  49 

either  of  thought,  speech,  conduct  of  life — 
that  was  likely  to  reflect  discredit  upon  the 
School,  the  Work,  the  Cause,  or  our  Group,  it 
is  our  solemn  Duty  to  go  directly  to  him  or 
her  personally,  and  in  the  spirit  of  friend- 
ship, fellowship,  fraternal  sympathy  and 
good  will,  lay  the  entire  matter  frankly  and 
kindly  before  the  individual  concerned. 

6.  We  agreed  that  any  discussion  of  such 
matters  with  any  one  other  than  the  individ- 
ual concerned,  would  be  a  flagrant  breach  of 
personal  Loyalty;  except  an  occasion  might 
arise  where  the  wisdom  or  unwisdom  of  ap- 
proaching the  individual  at  all,  might  justify 
one  of  us  [who  knew  the  facts  but  did  not 
feel  himself  able  alone  to  determine  their  re- 
sults upon  the  School  or  the  Cause]  in  call- 
ing a  trusted  Friend  into  counsel,  for  the  sole 
purpose  of  obtaining  the  benefit  of  his  wis- 
dom and  judgment  upon  the  question  of  what, 
under  the  particular  conditions  and  circum- 
stances, would  be  the  best  way  to  bring  the 
matter  to  his,  or  her,  attention,  if  at  all. 

But  in  no  event  would  it  be  morally  right, 
nor  loyal  to  the  individual  concerned,  to  call 
in  any  third  party  under  any  other  circum- 
stances. 

7.  We  agreed  among  ourselves,  and  so 
pledged  ourselves  with  the  most  solemn  prom- 


50  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

ise,  that  we  would  always  welcome  any  Stu- 
dent or  Friend  of  the  Work  who  should  come 
to  us  in  '^The  Spirit  of  the  Worh'\  for  the 
purpose  of  calling  our  attention  to  anything 
that  might  need  our  correction.  We  agreed 
that  we  would  all  do  our  best  to  make  it  easy 
for  any  one  of  us  to  go  to  any  other  under 
any  such  circumstances,  and  that  we  would 
take  every  such  interposition  as  an  act  of 
Friendship  on  the  part  of  those  who  should 
come  to  us  in  the  right  Spirit,  even  though 
it  might  be  to  admonish  us,  warn  us,  caution 
us,  or  tell  us  how  our  conduct  would  seem  to 
be  out  of  alignment  with  the  Spirit  of  the 
Work, 

And  we  all  solemnly  promised  each  other 
that  we  would  never  go  to  any  other  individ- 
ual whomsoever  with  any  such  matter,  nor 
with  any  subject  of  criticism, — until  after  we 
had  gone  first  to  the  individual  himself,  and 
in  the  spirit  of  Friendship,  Brotherly  Love 
and  Good  Will,  had  laid  the  matter  frankly 
and  kindly  before  him  or  her.  Nor  even  then 
would  we  feel  at  liberty  to  mention  the  subject 
to  any  third  person,  unless  our  efforts  with 
the  individual  himself  failed^  and  we  felt  the 
need  of  the  counsel  of  some  older  or  wiser  in- 
telligence than  our  own  to  enable  us  to  dis- 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  51 

charge  our  own  Personal  Eesponsibility  more 
perfectly. 

8.  We  agreed  that  any  Student,  or  mem- 
ber of  our  Group,  who  is  unwilling  to  have 
his  attention  called  to  any  matter  that  is  of 
interest  to  the  School,  the  Work,  or  the  Cause 
[by  any  other  one  of  our  number  who  does  so 
in  the  right  spirit,]  is  clearly  out  of  line  with 
the  Spirit  of  the  Work,  and  not  a  fitting  Stu- 
dent or  Accredited  Eepresentative  of  the 
School.  His  unwillingness  thus  to  receive 
the  honest  and  well-meant  admonitions  or 
suggestions  of  his  fellow  Students  and 
Friends  [who  approach  him  in  the  Spirit  of 
Friendship  and  Good  Will],  is  an  evidence 
of  ** Sensitiveness'*  which  is  but  another 
name  for  ^'Intellectual  Vanity''  and  ''Ego- 
tism'', either  of  which  should  disqualify  him 
as  a  Student  and  Eepresentative  of  the 
School  and  Work. 

9.  We  also  agreed  that  any  one  of  our 
number  who  is  unwilling  to  go  directly  to 
any  other  member  of  our  Group  [and  in  the 
Spirit  of  Friendship,  Kindness  and  Good 
Will,  tell  him  frankly  of  anything  in  his  life 
or  conduct  which  we  believe  would  injure  the 
Cause],  is  lacking  in  the  quality  of  Courage 
demanded  of  every  Accredited  Eepresenta- 
tive of  the  School.    In  other  words,  we  agree 


52  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

that  such  a  member  of  our  Group,  if  we  have 
any  such,  is  just  an  ordinary  '' Coward' \  and 
in  no  sense  a  fitting  Eepresentative  of  the 
Spirit  of  the  Work. 

The  foregoing  are  a  few  of  the  elements 
and  Ethical  Principles  which  we  have  worked 
out  long  ago.  I  had  supposed  that  our  mem- 
bers had  not  only  accepted  them  as  correct 
in  principle,  but  that  they  had  adopted  them 
as  vital  and  essential  elements  and  principles 
in  the  Ethical  Formulary  for  the  LIVING  OF 
THE  LIFE. 

Indeed,  by  these  ^^ Rules  of  Conduct  it 
has  been  my  earnest  endeavor  to  lead  the 
Students  of  Natural  Science  to  the  full  and 
voluntary  exemplification  of  the  true  Spirit 
of  the  Work.  I  still  have  faith  that  most  of 
them  have  made  the  personal  application,  and 
are  Living  the  Life.    I  am  sure  of  it. 

But  I  have  to  confess  that  it  came  to  me 
with  a  shock  of  the  most  profound  sorrow 
and  regret,  only  a  short  time  ago,  to  learn 
that  the  spirit  of  Criticism — ^just  plain,  ordi- 
nary, ugly,  inexcusable  and  destructive  Criti- 
cism— had  entered  the  ranks  of  our  Student 
Group  in  Chicago,  and  had  set  in  motion  the 
destructive  process  of  disintegration  in  our 
very  midst. 

Think  of  it!  After  fifteen  years  of  effort 
on  my  own  part  to  **Lead  you  by  the  hand  of 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  53 

Love^',  and  ^^  Point  you  to  the  pathway  of 
Duty^^  to  find  that  the  Enemy  has  crept  in 
through  some  dark  back  way,  and  scattered 
the  poison  of  disintegration,  gives  me  the 
heart-ache  such  as  I  have  experienced  but  a 
few  times  in  this  earth  life. 

I  find  myself  repeating  the  questions  over 
and  over:  ^^How  is  it  possible  that  any  Stu- 
dent who  has  read  the  books  of  the  Harmonic 
Series  [and,  in  addition  to  the  principles  of 
life  and  action  therein  contained,  listened  to 
me  for  fifteen  years  in  my  efforts  to  elucidate 
them,  and  watched  me  all  those  years  in  my 
efforts  to  exemplify  them  in  my  daily  life] — 
could  fail  to  make  the  personal  application  to 
his  or  her  own  life?  How  is  it  possible  for 
any  such  Student  to  see  his  own  reflection  in 
the  glass,  without  thereby  constantly  being 
reminded  of  his  own  inconsistency?  How  is 
it  possible  for  any  such  Student  to  continue 
in  the  Work,  and  meet  his  fellow  Students 
from  day  to  day,  without  realizing  that  his 
life  is  but  a  pitiful  travesty  of  the  Ethical 
Formulary  which  every  Student  is  obligated 
to  exemplify?  Is  it  possible  for  the  trained 
Conscience  of  such  a  Student  to  lapse  into  a 
state  of  somnolence  so  complete  as  to  be  ut- 
terly oblivious  to  the  demands  of  common 
honesty? 


54  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

No,  I  do  not  believe  it.  There  is  no  chain 
of  reason  or  experience  to  support  such  a 
conclusion. 

I  am  convinced  that  insofar  as  any  Student 
of  our  Chicago  Group  has  justified  the  re- 
port that  has  come  to  me  on  this  subject,  he 
or  she  has  done  so  knowingly  and  intentional- 
ly, and  in  conscious  violation  of  *  *  The  Spirit 
of  the  Work' \ 

Of  course,  no  Student  or  Friend  of  the 
Work  must  be  adjudged  guilty  of  such  an  of- 
fense against  the  very  life  of  the  Cause  to 
which  he  has  pledged  his  loyalty  and  good 
faith,  except  upon  the  most  conclusive  evi- 
dence. Once  having  been  tried  and  tested, 
and  regularly  admitted  as  an  Accredited  Rep- 
resentative, all  the  presumptions  of  loyalty, 
honesty,  good  faith  and  consistency  are  in  his 
favor. 

And  let  me  make  clear  the  fact,  and  then 
emphasize  it,  that  I  am  not  passing  judgment 
in  this  matter.  My  purpose  is  only  to  call 
attention  to  the  fact  that  the  report  has  come 
to  me  from  a  source  which  would  command 
the  respectful  consideration  of  any  Student 
or  Friend  of  this  School,  and  is  therefore  of 
such  importance  as  to  warrant  me  in  an  ear- 
nest effort  to  turn  the  incident  to  good  ac- 


^Sii<v. 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  55 

count.  If  possible,  I  want  to  make  it  a  les- 
son that  shall  not  require  repetition. 

My  hope  is  to  bring  the  vital  importance 
of  the  subject  so  closely  home  to  each  and 
every  Student  as  to  enlist  his  active  and  ear- 
nest sympathy  and  co-operation,  and  set  in 
motion  the  irresistible  power  of  constructive 
influences  which  shall  overcome  the  destruc- 
tive effects  of  the  poison,  as  far  as  it  may 
have  found  lodgment  in  our  membership,  if 
at  all. 

And  my  message  is  intended,  not  alone  for 
the  Students  and  Friends  of  the  Work  in 
Chicago,  but  for  those  in  each  and  every 
other  Group  thus  far  established,  or  that 
shall  hereafter  be  established — as  well  as  for 
the  individual  Students  and  Friends  every- 
where, both  present  and  future. 

There  is  one  aspect  of  this  subject  of 
*  *  Criticism  *  *  that  ought  to  be  especially  inter- 
esting to  those  who  have  never  before  ob- 
served it.  It  should  also  be  of  real  help  to 
those  who  are  honestly  and  earnestly  endeav- 
oring to  align  themselves  with  the  Construc- 
tive Principle  of  Nature  in  Individual  Life. 
It  was  discovered  many  centuries  ago  by  one 
of  the  Wise  Masters  of  the  Great  School,  then 
in  Chaldea.  It  seems  to  have  been  rediscov- 
ered by  one  of  our  modern  Psychologists,  who 


56  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

expresses  it  somewhat  after  this  fashion : — 

*^The  critical  attitude  of  mind  arises  nat- 
urally from  the  consciousness  of  one's  own 
unworthiness.  The  individual  who  finds 
pleasing  employment  in  criticising  those  with 
whom  he  associates,  thereby — if  he  did  but 
know  it — advertises  his  own  imperfections  of 
character  and  demonstrates  the  justice  of 
his  own  condemnation." 

In  this  connection  a  strange  discovery  has 
been  made,  namely,  that  the  individual  who 
seems  to  consider  it  a  mark  of  distinction  to 
be  considered  ^^ critical' \  almost  universally 
sees  in  his  associates  the  very  faults  and  de- 
fects of  character  which  most  deeply  mar  the 
beauty  of  his  own  character. 

In  other  words,  it  seems  to  be  a  law  of  life, 
that  we  are  able  to  see  most  clearly  in  others 
the  flaws  that  are  most  glaring  in  ourselves. 

Stated  in  yet  another  form — to  the  ''criti- 
cal individual,  his  associates  are  but  so 
many  mirrors  wherein  he  sees  most  vividly 
reflected  the  flaws,  defects,  faults  and  de- 
formities of  his  own  character. 

Stop  and  think  over  this  carefully.  See  if 
you  can  discover  the  psychological  key  to  its 
explanation. 

Why  is  it  that  we  are  so  apparently  ob- 
livious to  our  own  faults  and  imperfections, 


,v/<>^.A 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  57 

and  yet  are  able  to  observe  them  with  such 
clearness  and  minuteness  in  others'?  Why  is 
it  that  we  condemn  them  so  unmercifully  in 
our  Friends  and  associates,  and  treat  them 
in  ourselves  as  if  they  were  virtues  and  marks 
of  distinction  and  loveliness? 

WTiy  is  it  that  our  * '  objective ' '  vision  is  so 
perfect  while  our  *^ subjective*'  vision  is  so  de- 
fective ? 

But  does  not  this  aspect  of  the  subject  give 
us  a  very  different  understanding  and  appre- 
ciation of  the  ^^ Critical  Mind'^f 

Surely,  it  would  seem  that  those  of  us 
who  have  been  congratulating  ourselves  on 
the  fact  that  we  are  ^^ Critical'',  and  boasting 
of  that  fact  in  the  presence  of  others,  as  if 
it  were  a  virtue,  instead  of  a  vice,  should  turn 
the  search-light  of  analysis  upon  ourselves. 

And  this  brings  us  back  to  the  ''Spirit  of 
the  Work",  upon  the  study  of  which  there  is 
an  unlimited  task  for  each  Student  to  ac- 
complish, before  he  or  she  is  in  position  to 
pass  judgment  upon  the  character  or  the  con- 
duct of  those  who  are  entitled  to  honorable 
treatment,  or  consideration. 

If  you  will  study  carefully  the  literature 
that  accompanies  the  "Test  Course*',  you 
will  observe  the  fact  that  it  is  intended  by 


58  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

the  School  as  a  searching  course  of  study  in 
/S'^Z/i^-analysis. 

It  never  occurred  to  me  that  this  basic  fact 
could  ever  be  overlooked  by  any  Student  or 
Friend  of  the  Work,  or  lost  sight  of  in  the 
course  of  his  efforts  to  accomplish  the  tasks 
set  for  him  in  the  lines  of  his  own  spiritual 
unfoldment. 

It  would  seem,  from  the  information  at 
hand,  that  some  of  the  Students  have  made  it 
a  course  of  critical  analysis  of  OTHEES, 
with  no  application  whatsoever  to  SELF. 

To  whatever  degree  this  may  be  true,  it  ex- 
emplifies the  exact  antithesis  of  the  real 
''Spirit  of  the  Worh'\ 

To  whatever  extent  it  is  true,  it  stands  for 
the  Destructive  Principle  of  Nature  in  Indi- 
vidual Life,  and  will  inevitably  result  in  the 
spiritual  and  psychical  paralysis  of  every 
Student  of  this  School  who  persists  in  follow- 
ing that  course. 

It  is  not  only  permissible,  but  one  of  the 
distinct  and  definite  purposes  of  the  Test 
Course,  that  therein  the  individual  Student 
shall  analyze  HIMSELF  as  ''critically''  as 
possible,  for  the  distinct  purpose  of  discover- 
ing every  defect  of  character — not  that  he 
may  condemn  himself,  nor  exploit  his  imper- 
fections ;  but  solely  that  he  may  know  where, 


iib 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  59 

and  along  what  lines,  to  direct  his  personal 
efforts  in  order  that  he  shall,  in  the  shortest 
measure  of  time,  overcome  the  defects  of  his 
own  character  and  stand  before  the  world  **a 
just  and  upright  man'*,  or  woman,  and  as 
such,  exemplify  the  real  Spirit  of  the  Work, 
and  merit  the  designation  of  an  **  Accredited 
Eepresentative ' '  of  the  School  and  Work. 

But  even  here  it  is  possible  for  one  to  be- 
come a**£ri/per",as  the  dear  Lady  would  say; 
by  which  she  meant  an  extremist.  In  other 
words,  it  is  possible  for  one  to  become  hyper- 
critical of  himself,  as  well  as  of  others.  He 
may  become  hyper-sensitive,  and  experience 
much  unhappiness  as  a  result  thereof. 

In  the  matter  of  *^ Criticism",  one  should 
be  critical  of  himself,  but  never  critical  of 
others.  And  while  he  should  be  critical  of 
himself,  he  should  never  become  hyper-criti- 
cal. If  he  does  he  is  sure  to  become  morbid 
and  unhappy.  Such  an  attitude  leads  to  dis- 
couragement, lack  of  necessary  self-reliance 
and  failure. 

Let  me  make  clear  the  fact  that  I  am  fully 
convinced  that  not  more  than  two  or  three  of 
our  Chicago  Students  have  violated  the  Spirit 
of  the  Work  as  to  this  subject  of  ^^ Criti- 
cism* \  if  indeed  any  of  them  have  done  so. 
But  the  fact  that  even  one  has  done  so,  or 


60  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

even  has  left  that  impression  upon  the  minds 
of  others,  is  deeply  to  be  regretted. 

Whether  we  desire  to  occupy  such  a  posi- 
tion or  not,  it  is  none  the  less  a  fact  that 
those  of  us  who  constitute  the  Chicago  Group, 
and  more  especially  those  of  us  who  are 
known  as  the  **01d  Group'',  are  looked  upon 
by  the  Students  and  Friends  of  the  Work 
everywhere,  as  well  as  by  the  world  in  gen- 
eral, as  those  who  have  been  tried,  tested, 
and  found  to  be  **duly  and  truly  prepared, 
worthy  and  well  qualified '  \ 

Because  of  this  fact,  we  are  held  by  them  to 
a  rigid  accountability,  for  every  word  we 
utter,  every  thought  we  express,  every  act 
we  perform  and  every  impression  we  create 
in  the  minds  of  others. 

Whether  we  so  desire  or  not,  we  are  under 
the  critical  observation  of  many  who  are  in- 
terested in  the  School  and  the  Work,  and  who 
feel  that  they  have  the  right  to  judge  us ;  and 
they  do  judge  us  by  what  they  conceive  to  be 
the^^Spiritof  theWork''. 

Moreover  [and  here  is  where  our  heaviest 
responsibility  rests],  they  not  only  judge  ns 
— which  they  have  a  right  to  do,  in  just  so 
far  as  we  hold  out  to  them  the  impression 
that  we  are  **  Accredited  Students  and  Eepre- 
sentatives'*  of  the  School — but  they  judge 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  61 

the  Great  School  and  the  Great  Friends  also; 
and,  worst  of  all,  they  judge  them,  not  upon 
their  own  merits,  but  upon  our  demerits. 

It  is  perfectly  natural  for  one  who  has  read 
the  text-books  of  thej  School,  and  become 
deeply  interested,  to  want  to  meet  some  of 
those  who  are  known  as  **  Accredited  Eepre- 
sentatives'\    He  says  to  himself: — 

**I  wonder  what  these  people  are  like.  I 
wonder  if  they  are  any  different  from  the 
members  of  any  other  cult  or  movement.  I 
wonder  if  they  practice  what  they  preach.  If 
Natural  Science  is  what  the  authors  of  the 
books  claim  for  it,  and  if  the  Students  of 
the  School  really  live  the  life  therein  ex- 
plained and  exemplify  the  Spirit  of  the  Work 
in  their  relations  with  each  other,  then  they 
must  indeed  be  unlike  the  Students  of  other 
Schools  and  vastly  different  from  the  mem- 
bers of  the  average  modern  Cult.  It  ought  to 
be  a  privilege  to  meet  them,  and  a  constant  in- 
spiration to  have  the  benefit  of  their  friend- 
ship and  association. ' ' 

This,  my  dear  Friends,  is  what  those  on  the 
outside  expect  of  us.  It  is  what  they  have 
the  perfect  right  to  expect  of  us,  in  just  so 
far  as  we  hold  ourselves  out  to  them  as  Ac- 
credited Students  of  the  School.  Moreover, 
it  is  what  the  School  demands  of  us  as  the 


62  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

only  compensation  we  can  render  in  return 
for  the  Gift  it  has  made  to  us  from  the  store- 
house of  its  knowledge. 

Now,  let  us  suppose  one  of  these  on  the  out- 
side has  read  the  books  and  been  deeply  im- 
pressed with  the  logic  and  the  beauty  of  their 
teachings  and  findings,  and  he  makes  applica- 
tion to  become  an  Accredited  Student.  Let 
us  also  suppose  that  he  is  brought  in  contact 
and  into  acquaintance  with  some  one  of  the 
many  Groups  of  Students  throughout  the 
country,  in  order  that  he  may  study  more 
carefully  the  results  of  the  Work  upon  the 
lives  of  those  who  have  been  admitted,  and 
who  have  had  the  advantage  of  the  instruc- 
tion. Suppose  he  finds  that  each  Student  is 
critical  of  all  the  others,  and  satisfied  with 
nobody  but  himself ;  that  the  spirit  of  just  or- 
dinary kindness  is  entirely  lacking ;  that  each 
Student  has  appointed  himself  a  harsh  and 
unsympathetic  judge  of  all  the  rest;  that 
fault-finding  and  uncharitableness  are  the 
rule  of  conduct : — what  do  you  think  would  be 
the  effect  upon  him? 

Do  you  not  think  that  he  would  be  entirely 
justified  in  the  opinion  that  the  Great  School 
is  no  better  than  any  other?  Do  you  think 
such  an  exemplification  of  the  Spirit  of  the 
Work  by  those  who  hold  themselves  out  as 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  63 

" Exemplars' \  would  reflect  credit  upon  any- 
one whomsoever?  Certainly  not.  It  could  re- 
sult in  nothing  but  MIS-representation  of  the 
School  and  the  Work,  and  the  deepest  injury 
to  every  interest  they  represent  and  every 
principle  for  which  they  stand. 

The  Spirit  of  Criticism  is  one  of  the  things 
which  every  Accredited  Student  must  abso- 
lutely eliminate  from  his  consciousness,  be- 
fore it  is  possible  for  him  to  become  a  Con- 
structive Factor  in  connection  with  this  Move- 
ment. To  that  end,  I  hope  that  this  letter 
will  point  the  way  so  clearly  as  to  make  it 
impossible  for  any  Student  or  Friend  of  the 
Work  ever  to  become  an  unconscious  violator 
of  the  principle  of  Kindness  and  Loyalty,  so 
long  as  he  is  connected  with  the  School  or  the 
Work  in  any  way. 

I  hope  that,  from  this  day  forward,  each 
and  every  Student  will  place  a  triple  guard 
upon  his  tongue,  to  see  that  no  word  of  criti- 
cism, unkindness,  or  unfavorable  judgment 
shall  ever  pass  his  lips  concerning  any  other 
fellow  Student  or  Friend  of  the  Work. 

I  hope  also  that  it  will  inspire  every  Ac- 
credited Student  with  the  unalterable  pur- 
pose, in  future,  to  search  only  for  those  ele- 
ments of  character  in  his  fellow  Students 
which  merit  his  hearty  approval. 


64  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WOHK. 

If,  in  any  Student  of  this  School,  the  Spirit 
of  Criticism  must  be  gratified,  then  let  it  be 
SELF-criticism  alone,  and  never  that  of  oth- 
ers. To  that  end  it  will  help  if  we  but  re- 
member that  a  '^Criticar'  attitude  of  Soul  is 
but  an  evidence  of  Intellectual  Vanity,  and  by 
no  means  a  thing  to  be  proud  of.  And  it  will 
help  still  more  if  we  remember  that  the  things 
for  which  we  criticise  others  are  but  the  re- 
flections of  ourselves  which  we  see  in  them. 

We  are  most  deeply  offended  only  by  those 
things  wherein  we  most  deeply  offend.  What 
a  paradox  is  human  nature  I 


^.tltJI!^ 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  65 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

No,  3, 

This  letter  is  more  especially  addressed  to 
Men.  And  yet,  if  the  Women  Students  and 
Friends  of  the  Work  are  wise  enough,  they 
may  find  something  in  it  that  will  be  of  help 
to  them  in  their  own  efforts  to  exemplify  The 
Spirit  of  the  Work. 

I  am  a  man.  During  my  life  I  presume  I 
have  enjoyed,  and  suffered  from,  pretty  much 
all  the  experiences  of  Men.  For  nearly  half 
a  century  I  have  been  studying  the  character- 
istics of  my  own  sex,  and  endeavoring  to 
learn  the  springs  of  human  life  which  impel 
Men,  especially,  to  action. 

I  have  learned  some  things.  If  I  shall  be 
able  to  convey  them  to  the  Students  and 
Friends  of  this  School  and  Work,  in  such 
manner  as  to  serve  them,  and  through  them 
the  interests  of  the  Great  Cause  in  which  we 
are  mutally  enlisted,  then  I  shall  feel  that  the 
effort  has  been  well  repaid. 

It  is  not  altogether  a  pleasant  task  to  ana- 


6e^  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

lyze  the  destructive  elements  of  human  na- 
ture, nor  to  dwell  at  length  upon  that  side  of 
the  great  Problem  of  Individual  Life.  Some 
people  do  not  like  to  be  reminded  of  the  fact 
that  they  are  anything  short  of  perfect. 

One  of  the  voluminous  lady  writers  of  the 
west,  not  long  ago,  took  me  severely  to  task 
for  writing  ''The  Great  Psychological 
Crime' \  She  claims,  not  without  a  faint  glim- 
mer of  intelligence  and  a  suggestion  of  logic, 
that  whatever  has  the  tendency  to  excite  the 
emotion  of  Fear  is  itself  destructive. 

She  asserted,  with  superb  dogmatism,  that 
the  book  referred  to  has  done  an  immense 
amount  of  harm,  by  holding  up  to  observation 
the  destructive  elements  of  life.  She  says  this 
has  caused  many  of  my  readers  to  fall  under 
the  blighting  influence  of  Fear,  and  I  believe 
she  also  says  that  many  cases  of  insanity 
have  resulted  therefrom. 

Had  I  failed  to  give  to  the  world  the  other 
side  of  the  great  problem,  namely,  the  * '  Con- 
structive Principle  of  Nature  in  Individual 
Life'\  there  can  be  little  doubt  that  some  of 
the  readers  of  ''The  Great  Psychological 
Crime'/  might  have  become  confused.  But 
with  both  sides  laid  before  the  individual 
clearly  and  simply,  there  is  not  the  slightest 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  67 

reason  for  any  such  results  as  those  to  which 
she  refers. 

The  logic  of  the  problem  may  be  gathered 
from  the  following  hypothetical  incident : — 

A  lady,  such  as  the  one  above  referred  to,  is 
the  mother  of  a  son  whom  she  never  allows 
to  know  anything  about  the  dangers  of  life. 
When  he  is  grown,  it  becomes  necessary  for 
him  to  assume  his  place  of  responsibility  in 
the  world.  His  first  duty  is  that  of  making  a 
journey  through  a  most  dangerous  country, 
of  which  he  has  no  information — ^because  it 
is  dcmgerous. 

The  wise  mother  knows  of  the  dangers,  be- 
cause she  has  lost  a  beloved  husband  and 
three  other  sons,  who  endeavored  to  travel 
the  same  journey.  But,  true  to  her  philos- 
ophy of  **A11  is  Good,  and  there  is  no  dan- 
ger'^— she  bids  her  boy  goodbye,  and  sends 
him  off  to  sure  death. 

The  question  arises:  Is  she  justified  in 
thus  concealing  the  FACTS  from  an  ignorant 
boy  who  needs  to  know  them  in  order  to  save 
his  own  life  ? 

It  seems  to  me  that  any  sane  mother,  or 
father,  or  sister,  or  brother,  who  would  per- 
mit a  boy  to  go  forth  into  the  world  under 
such  conditions,  withholding  from  him  the 
FACTS  of  nature,  however  dangerous  they 


68  THE  SPIRIT  OP  THE  WORK. 

may  be,  is  nothing  short  of  a  criminal.  In 
the  event  of  the  boy's  death,  as  a  result  of 
their  intentional  concealment  of  the  FACTS 
OF  NATURE,  who  is  responsible? 

I  should  be  glad  to  have  my  voluble  lady 
critic  devote  herself  to  the  solution  of  the 
problem  propounded. 

''The  Great  Psychological  Crime''  merely 
states  to  the  reader  the  FACTS  OF  NA- 
TURE— not  to  frighten  him,  but  to  enable 
him  to  walk  in  the  way  of  Safety,  and  avoid 
the  dangers.  I  am  willing  to  take  all  the  con- 
sequences— even  the  scoldings  of  my  self-ap- 
pointed, mystical  lady  critics — and  have  not 
the  least  ^^FEAR''  of  the  condemnation  of 
any  intelligent  man  or  woman,  who  is  capable 
of  understanding  the  first  principles  of  Logic, 
or  the  meaning  of  Personal  Responsibility. 

But,  as  indicated  in  my  previous  article,  it 
is  possible  for  one  to  become  a  ''Hyper". 
And  so,  it  would  be  possible  for  one  to  go  to 
extremes  in  the  presentation  of  such  a  theme 
as  "The  Destructive  Principle  of  Nature  in 
Individual  Life'\  It  also  may  be  possible  for 
one  to  dwell  too  much  upon  the  dangers  of 
life,  and  thus  become  morbid  under  the  ef- 
fects of  FEAR. 

In  like  manner,  it  is  possible  for  us  to  dwell 
too  much  upon  the  subject  of  our  own  weak- 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  69 

nesses,  faults  and  short-comings,  and  grow 
discouraged.  One  should  indulge  himself  in 
the  effort  at  Self -Analysis,  until  he  has  dis- 
covered every  one  of  these — not  that  he 
should  grow  fearful  of  them,  but  that  he  may 
adopt  such  a  course  of  life  and  conduct  as  will 
overcome  them. 

It  is  with  this  thought  in  mind  that  I  am 
going  to  talk  to  you,  my  Students  and 
Friends,  upon  the  subject  of  one  of  the  most 
destructive  characteristics  of  human  nature — 
especially  masculine  human  nature.  Eemem- 
ber  that  in  so  doing  I  am  endeavoring  to  make 
you  acquainted  with  the  Eoad  that  will  take 
you  safely  to  the  Land  of  Liberty  and  Light, 
and  not  because  I  either  want  or  expect  you 
to  become  alarmed,  lose  courage,  grow  faint 
and  weak  with  Fear,  and  lie  down,  or  go  in- 
sane. 

Intellectual  Vanity 

is  the  theme  I  want  you  to  consider  with  me 
in  this  letter.  The  manner  in  which  the  sub- 
ject is  generally  considered  does  not  make  of 
it  a  matter  of  much  consequence.  This,  per- 
haps, is  because  it  is  so  universal  a  character- 
istic among  Men.  In  them  it  comes,  or  has 
come,  to  be  accepted  as  a  matter  of  course, 


70  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

and  therefore  as  a  thing  to  be  accepted  as  a 
**  necessary  eviP',  rather  than  one  that  may 
be  overcome  and  thus  disposed  of. 

The  chief  difficulty  I  find  in  the  effort  to 
help  my  Students  to  overcome  it,  is  that  of 
helping  them  to  realize  that  they  are  afflicted 
with  it  at  all.  Almost  every  one  of  my  men 
Students  who  has  come  to  this  problem  in 
the  course  of  self -analysis  has  concluded  that 
he  is  either  free  from  ** Intellectual  Vanity'', 
or  comparatively  so.  Whereas,  the  fact  is 
that  all  of  them  are  afflicted  with  it,  and  many 
of  them  sorely  and  distressingly  so. 

In  this  connection  I  am  sure  that  reference 
to  my  letter-file  will  develop  something  of  in- 
terest and  value  to  those  who  are  truly  in  ear- 
nest in  their  efforts  to  exemplify  *  *  The  Spirit 
of  the  Work''. 

In  running  through  my  files  the  other  day  I 
ran  across  a  letter  written  a  long  time  ago, 
to  a  gentleman  who  applied  for  the  Work 
some  ten  years  ago,  and  was  admitted  to  the 
preliminary  studies.  Later  the  Work  was 
discontinued  with  him  for  the  reason  that  he 
seemed  utterly  unable  to  realize  his  own  in- 
ternal condition  and  attitude  of  Soul.  For 
this  reason  he  was  unable  to  make  a  personal 
application  of  the  principles  of  Natural 
Science  to  himself.    From  that  letter  I  quote 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  71 

the  following  which  is  most  applicable  to  the 
subject  under  consideration.  I  withhold  the 
name  of  my  Student,  because  it  would  be  a 
breach  of  personal  confidence  and  good  faith 
on  my  part  to  give  it  to  the  public,  or  even  to 
any  of  my  other  Students. 

These  quotations  will  also  make  clear  how 
difficult  it  is  for  an  Instructor  to  point  out  to 
a  Student  the  weaknesses  and  faults  of  char- 
acter which  stand  in  the  way  of  his  Spiritual 
Unf  oldment,  and  do  it  in  such  manner  as  not 
to  wound  or  offend  or  discourage  him.  I  shall 
quote  but  a  part  of  the  letter — that  which  is 
pertinent  to  the  subject  of  '^Intellectual  Van- 
ity'':-- 
**Dear  Friend  and  Brother: — 

Your  letter  of 
yesterday,  just  at  hand,  comes  at  a  hard  time 
for  me  to  give  it  the  kind  of  attention  and 
consideration  I  should  like ;  for  I  truly  want 
to  help  you  in  a  number  of  ways  and  particu- 
lars wherein  I  recognize  your  grave  need. 

**I  hope  you  have  made  a  sufficient  study  of 
my  character  and  motives  to  be  able  to  satisfy 
yourself  in  that  my  earnest  desire  is  to  be  of 
some  real  service  to  all  who  come  to  me  for 
help,  or  for  guidance  in  any  way.  If  so,  then 
I  do  not  need  to  ask  your  permission  to  speak 
with   the   utmost   candor  concerning   those 


72  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

things  which  have  to  do  with  my  ability  to 
help  you.  I  want  to  put  you  on  the  right 
track,  if  possible,  and  then  bid  you  ^God 
speed'  in  your  efforts  to  follow  it  until  you 
meet  the  ^ Light'  for  which  you  so  long  have 
been  in  search.  Then,  without  apologies,  let 
me  go  as  directly  as  possible  to  my  task: 

**1.  Since  I  have  known  you  personally 
you  have  demonstrated,  beyond  all  question, 
that  you  are  not  yet  ready  to  continue  the 
Work  as  an  accredited  Student.  And  this  is 
chiefly  because  you  are  not  yet  able  to  see 
wherein  the  principles  apply  to  yourself;  nor 
have  you  applied  them  to  your  own  life  in 
such  manner  as  to  show  that  you  have  any 
real  understanding  of  your  own  internal  con- 
dition and  needs, 

**This  is  not  said  in  the  spirit  of  unkind- 
ness,  nor  of  criticism,  but  solely  that  you  may 
understand  now  why  it  is  that  I  cannot,  in 
justice  to  you  or  the  School,  continue  the 
Work  with  you,  when  that  part  of  it  over 
which  you  have  gone  is  yet  unappreciated  and 
unapplied. 

*^2.  You  have  a  certain  native  Vanity  of 
Intelligence  which  I  never  have  encountered 
in  any  other  individual,  to  the  same  degree. 
And  you  have  fostered  it  to  a  point  where  it 
is  such  a  dominant  factor  in  your  internal 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  73 

state  of  being  that  you  do  not  seem  to  see  it 
or  understand  it  or  appreciate  its  presence. 

**When  I  have  called  your  attention  to  it 
you  have  graciously  bowed  your  head,  and 
your  spirit,  for  the  moment,  seeming  to  un- 
derstand ;  but  within  a  moment,  perhaps,  you 
do  or  say  something  which  proves  conclusive- 
ly that  you  have  not  sensed  the  thing  at  all  to 
which  I  have  had  reference. 

**It  is  this  that  stands  not  only  between  you 
and  any  measure  of  Constructive  Spiritual 
Unfoldment,  but  also  between  you  and  suc- 
cess in  every  other  way  wherein  your  success 
in  any  degree  is  dependent  upon  the  impres- 
sions you  make  upon  those  with  whom  you 
come  into  personal  contact  and  relation. 

**  In  your  relations  with  others,  it  expresses 
itself  in  what  might  well  be  defined  as  a  most 
'Obtrusive  Personality/  You  live  and  move 
and  have  your  being  in  the  personal  pronouns 
*I,  ME,  MINE';  and  the  entire  world  seems 
to  you,  to  revolve  about  that  center. 

**  When  you  talk  business,  you  put  yourself 
first  and  the  business  a  poor  second.  When 
you  talk  philosophy,  your  personality  ob- 
trudes itself  to  such  an  extent  that  the  philos- 
ophy is  but  a  secondary  consideration,  and 
you  are  the  chief  objective  point,  in  your  own 
mind.    When  you  are  in  the  midst  of  social 


74  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

surroundings,  you  find  little  or  no  pleasure, 
save  and  except  as  attention  is  centered  upon 
you,  and  what  you  do,  and  what  you  say,  and 
what  you  think.  You  seem  unable  to  lose 
yourself  an  instant  in  an  unselfish  interest  in 
others.  You  convey  the  impression  that  you 
are  forever  thinking  of  just  how  your  inter- 
ests are  going  to  be  affected. 

**I  have  watched  you  many  a  time,  and  have 
studied  you  in  your  letters  and  writings ;  and 
everywhere  stands  out  that  same  'Obtrusive 
Personality  \  that  Irrepressible  YOU,  to  such 
an  extent  as  to  mar  all  the  beautiful  traits  of 
an  otherwise  sweet,  gentle  and  gracious  char- 
acter. 

**And  now,  my  dear  Friend,  what  can  I  do? 
I  cannot  transmute  you  into  a  modest,  unas- 
suming, unselfish,  humble,  self -forgetful  man. 
And  until  you  have  become  just  that — in 
spirit  and  in  truth — ^it  is  but  an  extravagant 
waste  of  both  your  time  and  mine  for  you  to 
continue  your  studies  as  my  Student. 

*'An  illustration  of  what  I  have  in  mind, 
may  impress  you  more  forcibly,  perhaps,  if  I 
tell  you  an  incident  that  occurred  not  long 
ago,  in  this  connection : 

**I  read  part  of  one  of  your  letters  to  me, 
to  a  prominent  brother  Mason.  [I  did  not 
give  him  any  information  or  suggestion  as  to 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  75 

who  was  the  writer  of  it].  When  I  had  fin- 
ished I  asked  him  what  impression  it  gave 
him  as  to  the  character  of  the  writer.  He 
looked  at  me  a  moment,  with  an  expression  of 
amusement  in  his  eyes,  and  replied :  'BIG  I, 
little  you\ 

**In  that  single,  terse  expression  he  has 
most  aptly  defined  the  impression  which  yonr 
letter  would  make  upon  anyone  who  did  not 
know  you  personally — or,  who  did  know  you, 
for  that  matter.  Your  letter  breathes  that 
impression  all  through.  Your  own  personal- 
ity stands  out  so  prominently  and  obtrusively 
as  to  obscure  everything  else.  You  write 
beautifully,  in  some  respects,  but  never  in 
such  manner  as  to  lose  yourself  in  your 
theme.  Often,  in  fact,  you  have  written  in  a 
vein  of  seeming  humility;  but  it  is  always 
affected,  never  truly  genuine.  At  least,  it 
does  not  ring  true. 

*^This  may  seem  almost  ^brutal  in  its 
frankness '.  It  is  not  so  intended.  I  am  only 
trying  once  more  to  point  out  to  you,  in  such 
manner  as  to  mahe  you  see  it  this  time,  the 
thing  that  bars  your  way  in  this  Work,  as 
well  as  in  all  your  other  endeavors.  If  in  so 
doing  I  should  incur  your  resentment,  it  will 
not  be  because  of  any  such  desire  or  intention 
on  my  part. 


76  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

*^You  have  some  splendid  and  charming 
qualities  of  character  which  I  admire  very 
much  and  for  all  they  are  worth.  And  these 
would  command  success  for  you  anywhere 
and  everywhere,  if  that  OBTEUSIVE  PER- 
SONALITY of  yours  did  not  so  overtop  and 
obscure  them. 

*  *  That  part  of  your  letter  which  deals  with 
the  marriage  question  betrays  the  same 
spirit.  Judging  from  the  contents  of  your 
letter  alone,  your  entire  thought  seems  to  be 
to  find  the  woman  who  can  prove  herself 
worthy  of  YOU.  It  does  not  seem  to  have 
occurred  to  you  that  you  have  anything  to  do, 
or  that  you  have  anything  to  prove  to  her'\ 

The  foregoing  is  but  a  very  small  part  of 
a  very  long  letter.  And  the  entire  letter  con- 
stitutes but  a  very  small  fractional  part  of  a 
voluminous  correspondence  which  covers  sev- 
eral years.  During  all  that  time  I  had  been 
trying  to  enable  this  young  Friend  to  see  him- 
self as  others  see  him.    I  could  not  do  it. 

He  seemed  utterly  unable  to  analyze  him- 
self in  such  manner  as  to  determine  the  mo- 
tives which  inspired  him  in  his  search  for 
Truth. 

As  indicated  by  the  foregoing  quotations 
from  my  letter  to  him,  his  one  predominant 
characteristic  is  ^'Intellectual  Vanity '\  And 


iSSsk* 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  77 

his  is  the  only  case  that  has  ever  come  to  my 
personal  knowledge  where  the  Vanity  is  of 
such  fundamental,  deep-seated,  dominant, 
overwhelming  and  all-pervading  character, 
as  to  blind  its  possessor  to  its  own  existence. 
It  seems  to  be  so  perfectly  '^ natural' \  and  so 
innate  as  to  constitute  the  background  of  all 
his  mental  activities,  and  blind  him  to  its  own 
existence. 

But  this  is  an  exceptional  case.  I  believe 
that  most  men  are  able  to  understand  what  is 
meant  by  the  terms  '^ Intellectual  Vanity'', 
and,  to  some  extent,  recognize  the  indices  by 
which  it  expresses  itself  in  human  nature,  as 
well  as  in  individual  life  and  conduct.  For  in- 
stance : — 

Boastfulness. 

I  am  sure  that  most  men  recognize  the  fact 
that  ^* boastfulness''  of  speech  or  manner,  is 
but  one  of  the  many  manifestations  of  Vanity. 
But  I  have  found  that  it  is  not  every  man  who 
has  a  clear  understanding  of  what  constitutes 
** boastfulness" — especially  in  himself.  He 
sees  it  with  almost  abnormal  clearness  of  vis- 
ion, when  it  is  manifested  by  someone  else. 

I  do  not  believe  there  is  any  phase,  or  mani- 
festation of  Vanity,  that  is  more  obnoxious  to 


78  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

a  consistent  Student  of  the  Great  School  and 
Work  than  is  that  of  ^^boastfulness''.  Nor  is 
there  any  element  of  human  character  that 
more  radically  misrepresents  the  **  Spirit  of 
the  Work''. 

The  man  who,  impelled  by  Vanity,  talks 
about  himself,  about  his  acquirements,  his 
possessions,  what  he  has  done,  what  he  could 
do,  what  he  thinks,  what  others  think  of  him, 
what  he  is,  what  he  knows,  inevitably  thrusts 
his  own  personality  to  the  foreground  and  ob- 
scures everything  else. 

With  such  a  man  the  desire  to  exploit  him- 
self takes  precedence  of  any  issue  or  any 
Cause.  It  is  absolutely  impossible  for  such 
a  man  to  be  Loyal  to  any  Cause  or  to  any  in- 
dividual. He  lives  only  in  the  psychological 
environment  of  the  pronoun  **I".  All  else  is 
secondary. 

It  is  almost,  if  not  quite,  as  impossible  for 
such  an  one  to  be  Discreet;  for  such  a  man  is 
almost  universally  voluble,  and  the  man  who 
^' talks  too  mucW  is  sure  to  say  a  good  many 
things  which  ought  to  remain  unsaid. 

Dogmatism. 

The  man  who  is  ''intellectually  vain'',  is 
not  only  ''boastful",  but  in  most  instances 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  79 

dogmatic  as  well.  Whether  or  not  in  his  in- 
most soul  he  really  thinks  so,  he  nevertheless 
carries  the  impression  that  his  word  must 
not  be  questioned.  When  he  speaks  it  is  the 
voice  of  Wisdom,  When  he  expounds  it  is  in 
a  tone  of  assumed  knowledge  and  authority. 
Those  who  do  not  agree  with  him  are  put 
down  as  foolish  and  altogether  unworthy  of 
consideration.  Those  who  do  not  look  up  to 
him  and  acknowledge  his  self-assumed  su- 
periority, are  classed  as  incompetents,  and 
unintentionally  honored  by  being  placed  in 
the  same  category  as  *^ women". 

Criticism 

Is  another  sure  evidence  of  ^^Intellectual 
Vanity''.  I  have  already  written  of  this  sub- 
ject in  a  previous  letter.  But  I  did  not  go 
to  the  question  of  its  psychology.  I  considered 
it  more  especially  as  a  destructive  agency 
and  element  in  the  midst  of  such  a  Movement 
and  a  Work  as  this  in  which  we  are  engaged. 
I  trust  I  made  that  phase  of  the  subject  suffi- 
ciently clear  so  that  there  can  be  no  doubt  in 
the  mind  of  any  Student  of  the  School  as  to 
both  the  Fact  and  the  Principle  back  of  the 
Fact. 

If,  in  future,  any  Student  or  Friend  of  this 


80  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

Work  shall  indulge  himself  in  the  habit,  or 
the  practice,  or  the  destructive  attitude  of 
Criticism,  I  hope  I  have  made  the  destructive 
nature  and  effects  of  it  so  manifest  that  he 
cannot  so  indulge  himself  innocently,  nor 
ignorantly,  nor  without  fully  anticipating  the 
destructive  results — to  himself  as  well  as  to 
those  who  are  the  victims  of  his  folly;  and 
this  includes  the  School  itself  and  this  par- 
ticular Movement. 

In  addition  to  all  this,  however,  it  is  im- 
portant to  understand  and  realize  the  fact 
that  * ^ Intellectual  Vanity''  is  one  of  the  deep- 
seated  causes  in  the  background  which  impel 
men,  first,  to  the  critical  attitude  of  Soul,  and 
thence  to  the  indulgence  of  personal  Criti- 
cism, until  finally  it  becomes  a  hahit  which  he 
finds  quite  as  difficult  to  overcome  as  the 
habit  of  drink,  or  that  of  any  other  nature 
which  grows  out  of  personal  indulgence. 

The  psychology  of  ** Criticism"  is  some- 
thing the  habitual  Critic  seldom  knows  any- 
thing about.  He  despises  every  other  Critic 
on  earth  but  himself,  without  knowing  exactly 
why,  except  that  such  a  spirit  offends  his 
sense  of  justice,  as  well  as  that  of  common 
courtesy.  He  knows  that  there  is  something 
about  the  critical  spirit  that  is  not  right.    But 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  81 

he  is  the  last  creature  on  earth  to  realize  it  in 
himself. 

The  critical  spirit  assumes  that  he  is  intel- 
lectually superior  to  the  rest  of  mankind.  He 
does  not  hesitate  to  pass  judgment  upon  all 
who  come  within  the  range  of  his  observation, 
and  he  does  so  only  upon  the  basis  of  his  as- 
sumed intellectual  superiority. 

He  does  not  realize  that  in  so  doing  he  ad- 
vertises to  all  the  world  his  unbounded  Ego- 
tism and  *^  Intellectual  Vanity '^  If  he  could 
but  know  the  impressions  he  makes  upon  oth- 
ers— and,  most  of  all,  upon  those  he  most 
severely  criticises — ^he  would  be  humiliated 
into  the  dust. 

As  indicated  in  my  previous  letter,  there 
is  no  phase  or  manifestation  of  *  ^  Intellectual 
Vanity''  which  MIS-represents  the  ^^ Spirit 
of  the  Work''  more  radically  nor  destructive- 
ly than  that  of  a  critical  attitude  of  Soul  to- 
ward one's  fellow  Students  and  Friends  in 
this  Work. 

There  is  no  element  of  human  character 
which  more  justly  deserves  condemnation 
than  that  which  inspires  the  Critical  attitude 
of  Soul  and  leads  to  expression  in  personal 
*  ^  Criticism. ' ' 

No  Student  of  this  School  is  worthy  to  be 
counted  as  such  so  long  as  he  has  not  yet 


82  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

overcome  this  destructive  weakness  of  his 
character.  Nothing  is  a  more  powerful  DIS- 
INTEGRATOR, in  a  Work  or  a  Movement 
such  as  this,  than  the  ** Critical  Spirit." 

Let  no  Student  or  Friend  of  this  School 
forget  these  Facts. 

Volubility 

is  another  of  the  inevitable  manifestations  of 
** Intellectual  Vanity." 

The  man  who  talks  incessantly,  does  so 
because  he  **  loves  to  hear  the  sound  of  his 
own  voice."  To  him  ** Volubility"  is  an  as- 
sumed evidence  of  great  intelligence,  knowl- 
edge, wisdom  and  intellectual  superiority. 

Even  the  profound  Egotist  resents  *^  Volu- 
bility"— in  others.  He  does  not  observe  it  in 
himself,  because  he  is  so  busy  talking.  To 
him,  those  who  interrupt,  or  fail  to  listen  with 
rapt  attention  to  his  every  utterance — and 
applaud — are  lacking  in  Intelligence. 

Unfortunately,  however,  the  man  of  many 
words  is  invariably  the  man  of  few  original 
ideas.  He  talks  fluently,  only  because  he  ap- 
propriates the  ideas  and  the  language  of  oth- 
ers. 

Still  more  unfortunately,  the  man  who 
talks  incessantly  is  sure  to  say  many  things 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  83 

which  were  far  better  unsaid.  No  man  who 
indulges  himself  in  ^^ Volubility"  can  at  the 
same  time  be  Discreet.  The  two  characteris- 
tics do  not  run  together. 

Discretion,  however,  is  the  very  key  to  suc- 
cess in  this  School  and  Work.  It  is  for  this 
reason  that  so  much  attention  is  given  to 
''DISCRETION''  in  all  the  preliminary 
steps  of  those  who  desire  to  become  Accredit- 
ed Students  of  this  School. 

Not  long  ago  a  gentleman  of  considerable 
prominence  in  the  business  and  educational 
world  applied  for  admittance  as  a  Student. 
In  the  regular  course  of  procedure  I  asked 
him  to  meet  one  of  the  **  Accredited  Students" 
of  the  School  for  the  purpose  of  establishing 
the  personal  acquaintance  and  proving  his 
qualifications.  I  asked  him  to  write  me  after 
the  meeting  and  tell  me  all  he  could  concern- 
ing what  passed  between  them,  and  what  im- 
pressions he  carried  away  with  him. 

Imagine  my  humiliation,  if  you  can,  when 
I  received  his  letter  wherein  he  informed  me 
that  the  Student  to  whom  I  had  sent  him 
talked  for  two  straight  hours,  without  asking 
him  a  single  question,  or  giving  him  a  chance 
to  express  a  thought  in  words. 

He  wrote  me  something  as  follows : — 

*  *  You  asked  me  to  give  you  my  impressions 


84  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

of  the  School  and  the  Work,  as  they  were 
reflected  to  me  through  the  Student  to  whom 
you  sent  me.  This  would  be  most  difficult.  If 
I  had  to  judge  the  School  and  the  Work  by 
the  impressions  I  obtained  from  this  gentle- 
man, I  should  have  to  say — 

1.  That  they  constitute  the  most  perfect 
talking-machines  it  has  ever  been  my  good, 
or  bad,  fortune  to  meet. 

2.  That  they  must  be  chiefly  composed  of 
Egotism,  ''Intellectual  Vanity '^  and  Wind. 

3.  That  if  this  gentleman  is  a  natural  prod- 
uct of  the  Great  School  and  Work,  then  ex- 
cuse me,  I  prefer  to  obtain  my  knowledge  of 
Spiritual  things  in  some  other  School — ^not 
quite  so  ''Great/' 

To  this  letter  I  could  not  reply.  There 
was  nothing  for  me  to  say.  But  I  did  some 
thinking.  And  you  will  no  doubt  surmise 
that  I  have  not  asked  any  other  applicant, 
since  then,  to  meet  this  same  Student  for  the 
purpose  of  establishing  the  personal  acquain- 
tance, and  getting  his  ''impressions  of  the 
School  and  Work'^  therefrom. 

Nothing  could  more  completely  exemplify 
the  exact  opposite  of  the  ''Spirit  of  the 
Work^^  than  was  done  by  the  Student  to 
whom  I  have  referred. 

On  the  other  hand,  on  many  occasions  I 


^£ft 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  85 

have  met  applicants  myself,  instead  of  send- 
ing them  to  some  one  or  more  of  the  Accred- 
ited Students.  And  it  has  been  the  rare  ex- 
ception when  it  has  been  at  all  necessary  for 
me  to  do  any  of  the  talking. 

In  order  that  I  may  get  into  the  inner  con- 
sciousness and  study  the  individual  carefully 
and  intelligently,  I  always  ask  him  to  tell  me 
something  of  himself,  and  of  what  he  is  seek- 
ing. In  most  instances  this  is  enough  to  *  *  set 
him  going"  for  an  entire  evening. 

On  many  such  occasions  my  visitor  has 
gone  away  without  so  much  as  asking  me  a 
single  question,  or  obtaining  from  me  a  single 
item  of  information  concerning  the  School, 
the  Work,  or  myself. 

In  a  number  of  instances  I  have  received 
letters  of  abject  apology  afterwards.  But  it 
was  only  after  such  visitors  had  gone  away 
and  got  to  thinking  it  all  over,  that  they  real- 
ized the  fact  that  they  had  done  all  the  talk- 
ing, and  that  they  had  gone  away  no  wiser 
than  they  came,  so  far  as  the  School  and 
Work  were  concerned. 

Again  and  again,  since  the  first  incident 
above  referred  to,  I  have  said  to  my  Accred- 
ited Students  to  be  absolutely  sure  that  they 
did  less  than  half  the  talking ;  and  to  ask  their 
visitor  a  number  of  questions  concerning  him- 


86  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

self,  and  then  listen  to  him  carefully  and  at- 
tentively, and  study  him  while  he  talks.  This 
is  the  only  sure  method  of  reading  an  appli- 
cant's character.  Nothing  so  betrays  one's 
weaknesses  and  defects  of  character  as  talk- 
ing. 

It  is  astonishing  how  few  men  there  are 
who  are  good  listeners.  This  is  but  another 
way  of  saying:  It  is  astonishing  how  few 
modest  men  there  are.  And  this  only  means 
that  there  are  astonishingly  few  men  who  are 
not  sorely  afflicted  with  **  Intellectual  Vani- 
ty" and  Egotism. 

Taking  all  this  together,  it  should  consti- 
tute an  emphatic  warning  to  every  Accredited 
Student  of  this  School  and  Work,  against 
'^Volubility'* — many  words — much  talking. 

Let  it  be  to  you,  what  it  is  in  fact,  one  of 
the  sure  indices  of  ** Intellectual  Vanity." 

And  if  in  future  you  should  be  asked  to 
meet  applicants  for  studentship,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  establishing  the  personal  acquaint- 
ance and  determining  their  qualifications,  let 
it  be  your  invariable  rule  to  let  the  applicant 
do  as  much  of  the  talking  as  it  is  possible  for 
you  to  induce  him  to  do,  in  an  easy  and  nat- 
ural way. 

Ask  him  a  number  of  direct  questions  con- 
cerning himself,  his    past   life,  experiences, 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  87 

lines  of  study,  philosophic  and  religious 
views,  what  he  knows  about  the  contents  of 
the  text-books,  what  most  attracts  him  to  the 
School  and  Work,  whether  he  finds  anything 
in  the  teachings  and  findings  of  the  School 
contained  in  the  books  with  which  he  cannot 
agree,  of  what  he  is  in  search  that  he  would 
hope  or  expect  to  find  in  this  School  and 
Work — and  such  other  questions  as  will  en- 
able you  to  know  exactly  what  is  his  attitude 
toward  the  School  and  its  findings. 

While  he  is  answering  these  questions, 
study  him  with  all  the  intelligence  possible, 
for  the  purpose  of  determining  the  essential 
elements  of  his  character,  and  satisfying 
yourself  whether  or  not  he  comes  '^duly  and 
truly  prepared,  worthy  and  well  qualified,'' 
and  whether  you  are  willing  to  assume  the 
responsibility  of  recommending  him  for  ad- 
mittance as  a  Student. 

Do  not  forget  for  one  moment  that  he  is 
studying  YOU  all  the  time  he  is  not  talking, 
and  that  everything  you  do  and  every  sen- 
tence you  utter  are  making  their  '^  impres- 
sions^' upon  him,  which  impressions  he  will 
be  asked  to  report  to  me  [so  long  as  I  am  in 
charge  of  the  Work  of  the  School  in  this 
country],  or  to  those  whom  the  School  may 
appoint  for  that  purpose. 


88  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

And  I  pray  you  to  spare  me  such  humilia- 
tion in  future  as  I  have  suffered  in  the  past, 
by  reason  of  such  reports  as  that  which  came 
from  the  applicant  referred  to  above. 

Sensitiveness. 

It  would  seem  a  strange  combination,  and 
almost  impossible,  that  **  Intellectual  Vanity '' 
[which  involves  Egotism,  Dogmatism,  Domi- 
nation, Intolerance,  Boastfulness,  Criticism, 
Volubility,  and  many  other  dominant  and  pos- 
tive  characteristics]  should  also  be  associated 
with  Sensitiveness*  This  would  seem  to  in- 
volve a  direct  contradiction,  not  only  of  terms 
but  also  of  internal  conditions. 

But  a  careful  study  of  motives y  and  a  criti- 
cal self-analysis  along  that  line,  will  soon 
prove  to  any  honest  Student  the  fact  that 
what  we  designate  as  '' Sensitiveness'*  is,  in 
most  respects,  but  another  name  for  ^'Wound- 
ed Vanity". 

My  personal  experiences  as  an  Instructor 
in  this  School,  and  as  a  careful  student  of 
human  nature,  have  proven  to  me  that  one  of 
the  invariable  accompaniments  of  '^Intellec- 
tual Vanity''  is  great  '^ Sensitiveness"  to  ev- 
erything that  could  in  any  manner  reflect 
upon  the  individual  unfavorably. 

In  some  instances  I  have  found  it  almost 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  89 

impossible  to  offer  any  suggestion  of  im- 
provements, or  call  attention  to  any  weak- 
ness of  character  or  fault  in  my  Student,  be- 
cause of  his  extreme  '^sensitiveness'',  and  his 
readiness  to  be  wounded,  or  hurt,  or  offended 
at  any  suggestion  of  his  imperfection. 

When  we  follow  the  subject  back  to  its 
source  we  find  that  this  character  of  extreme 
'* Sensitiveness'',  or  '^ touchiness",  has  its 
origin  and  foundation  in  '^  Intellectual  Vani- 
ty". 

This  fact  has  caused  me  much  difficulty  in 
my  efforts  to  help  my  masculine  Students  to 
overcome  their  specific  difficulties  which  stand 
in  the  way  of  their  individual  evolution  and 
unfoldment. 

It  is  one  of  the  established  principles  of 
psychology,  that  the  ability  of  any  individual 
to  improve  himself  depends  primarily  upon 
his  intelligent  understanding  and  apprecia- 
tion of  the  fact  that  he  is  not  yet  perfect,  and 
of  exactly  wherein  he  needs  to  be  improved. 

In  this  School  and  Work  of  Education,  one 
of  the  most  important  functions  of  an  In- 
structor is  that  of  pointing  out  to  his  Student 
wherein  he  [the  Student]  fails  to  measure  up 
to  the  standard  of  individual  Character  neces- 
sary to  enable  him  to  become  a  ^^Demonstrat- 
or of  the  Law'\ 


90  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

Whatever  constitutes  a  barrier  between  In- 
structor and  Student  in  this  regard  is  indeed 
a  serious  handicap  to  their  progress  in  the 
Work.  Whatever  prevents  a  Student  from 
knowing  and  intelligently  appreciating  his 
own  deficiencies  is  a  fatal  barrier  between 
him  and  the  goal  toward  which  this  Work 
forever  leads  him. 

For  this  reason  an  Instructor  in  this  School 
and  Work  must  be  able  to  point  out  to  his 
Student,  with  absolute  frankness  and  fidelity, 
every  weakness,  fault,  error,  tendency,  or  dif- 
ficulty which  stands  in  the  way  of  his  success. 
If  Sensitiveness  or  Wounded  Vanity  prevents 
this  it  is  but  a  waste  of  valuable  time  on  the 
part  of  the  Instructor  to  continue  the  Work. 

Any  Student  who  cannot  face  himself  free- 
ly, frankly  and  unreservedly,  and  with  a  feel- 
ing of  profound  gratitude  to  his  Instructor 
for  enabling  him  to  KNOW  HIMSELF,  is  not 
ready  for  this  Work.  Even  though  he  may 
feel  that  he  is  not  fully  understood,  or  duly 
appreciated,  he  must  at  all  times  be  able  to 
*^see  himself  as  others  see  him'\  without  re- 
sentment or  protest  in  any  form. 

In  other  words,  before  it  is  possible  for  him 
to  stand  as  an  *^  Accredited  Eepresentative ' ' 
of  the  Great  School,  he  must  master  the 
'^Lion'^  of  Intellectual  V amity,  and  he  must 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  91 

KNOW  that  he  has  done  so.  And  so  long  as 
he  is  **  sensitive '  ^  to  just  criticism  from  his 
Instructor,  and  ready  to  be  wounded  and  hurt 
when  his  attention  is  called  to  any  phase  of 
his  character  which  needs  modification,  he 
may  KNOW  that  the  ''Lion''  still  lives, 
breathes,  and  is  ready  to  spring  upon  him  in 
deadly  combat. 

Obtrusiveness. 

In  the  quotation  from  my  letter  to  a  Stu- 
dent on  the  subject  of  his  **  Intellectual  Vani- 
ty*', I  have  called  attention  to  the  fact  that  in 
the  particular  case  therein  referred  to,  one 
of  the  most  unmistakable  evidences  and  mani- 
festations of  his  Vanity  was  his  ''OBTRU- 
SIVE PERSONALITY'', 

While  the  case  referred  to  is  the  most  ex- 
aggerated  of  any  that  has  ever  come  to  my 
attention,  it  has  enabled  me  to  see  and  fully 
realize  the  fact  that  an  *  *  Obtrusive  Personali- 
ty *'  is  one  of  the  natural  and  inevitable  re 
suits  of  ' '  Intellectual  Vanity ' '. 

It  is  true  that  this  phase  of  its  manifesta- 
tion varies  to  a  marked  degree;  but  as  I  go 
back  in  memory  over  the  experiences  of  al- 
most thirty  years  of  active  work  as  an  In- 
structor in  this  field,  I  am  unable  to  recall  a 
single  instance  which  could  be  fairly  classed 
as  an  exception  to  the  rule  above  suggested. 


92  THE  SPIRIT  OP  THE  WORK. 

— » 

From  this  background  of  active  and  con- 
tinued experience,  I  believe  I  am  justified  in 
placing  the  ^^ Obtrusive  Personality^^  among 
the  natural  and  inevitable  manifestations  of 
^'Intellectual  Vanity^'. 

And  I  know  of  no  phase  of  the  subject  that 
is  more  difficult  to  elucidate  in  such  manner 
as  to  make  it  entirely  clear  to  one  who  is  af- 
flicted with  ^*  Intellectual  Vanity '\  But  I 
want  to  call  the  attention  of  all  my  Students 
to  the  subject  here  and  now,  and  ask  them  to 
make  a  careful  study  of  it  in  the  future,  so 
that  they  shall  be  able  to  help  their  own  Stu- 
dents, in  case  they  shall  be  so  fortunate  as  to 
qualify  as  Instructors. 


Attitude  Toward  Women. 

I  believe  I  am  strictly  within  the  realm  of 
Facts  when  I  say  that  Men  advertise  their 
^^Intellectual  Vanity'^  as  much  by  their  atti- 
tude toward  Women  as  in  any  other  way. 

A  vain  man  invariably  depreciates  women. 
He  betrays  the  fact  constantly  that  he  has  lit- 
tle or  no  respect  for  the  intelligence  of  wom- 
en. He  looks  upon  them  as  his  inferiors,  and 
in  most  instances  in  every  sense  of  the  word. 
His  vanity  is  offended  if  they  do  not  recognize 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  93 

— r 

his  self-assumed  superiority  and  pay  him  def- 
erence accordingly. 

The  vain  man  loves  to  exploit  himself  in 
the  presence  of  women.  He  never  listens  to 
them,  except  when  he  is  the  subject  of  their 
consideration. 

It  has  taken  me  fifteen  years  to  educate  a 
group  of  men  and  women  to  a  point  where 
they  understood  and  respected  each  other.  I 
regard  it  as  one  of  the  real  triumphs  of  my 
life  that  I  have  been  able  to  bring  them  into 
a  working  association,  upon  a  basis  of  mutual 
understanding,  mutual  respect,  and  a  mutual 
and  whole-hearted  Fellowship, 

And  I  want  to  say,  without  reservations, 
that  I  believe  there  is  not  another  such  group 
of  people  living  to-day. 

They  are  COMPANIONS,  in  every  sense 
of  the  term — socially,  morally,  philosophical- 
ly, scientifically,  as  Students,  and  as  fellow 
workers  together  in  a  common  Cause. 

They  look  upon  each  other  as  EQUALS, 
and  they  treat  each  other  in  the  same  way. 
They  do  not  preen  themselves  in  each  other  ^s 
presence,  but  they  treat  each  other  with  real 
deference  and  respect. 

I  have  to  admit,  however,  that  it  has  in- 
volved a  long  and  most  difficult  labor  of  love 
and  education  to  bring  about  this  result. 


94  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

And  it  would  not  be  quite  fair  to  say  that 
all  the  fault,  or  difficulty,  has  been  due  to  the 
** Intellectual  Vanity''  of  our  Men  Students. 
Some  of  the  real  difficulties  to  be  overcome 
have  been  among  our  beloved  Lady  Students. 

One  of  the  most  stubborn  of  these  has  been 
their  timidity  in  the  presence  of  men.  When 
this  phase  of  the  situation  has  been  under 
consideration  between  the  beloved  EA.  and 
myself,  she  has  often  said  to  me: — 

**You  ought  to  hear  our  women  Students 
when  they  meet  together  without  the  men. 
They  are  a  perfect  cyclone  of  talk.  They  all 
talk,  and  usually  all  at  the  same  time.  There 
is  not  the  least  timidity  nor  backwardness 
among  them ;  and  they  express  themselves  as 
fluently,  gracefully,  logically  and  intelligently 
as  the  men.  But  the  moment  a  man  is  ad- 
mitted they  become  as  silent  and  as  dumb  as  a 
lot  of  mutes,  yield  the  floor  to  the  man,  and 
listen  with  rapt  attention  to  whatever  he  may 
have  to  say." 

Again  and  again  I  have  urged  the  women 
of  our  Group  to  ask  questions,  if  nothing  bet- 
ter; and  again  and  again  I  have  asked  each 
of  them  some  question  that  made  it  necessary 
for  her  to  talk.  Then  I  have  entered  into  a 
conspiracy  with  our  men  Students  to  conduct 
our  meetings  in  such  manner  as  to  draw  the 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  95 

women  out,  make  them  express  themselves, 
and  gradually  break  down  their  stage-fright. 

Slowly  but  surely  the  situation  changed  un- 
der this  educational  influence,  until  in  spirit 
and  in  truth  the  natural  level  of  equality  has 
been  well  established. 

And  it  would  be  a  revelation  to  the  rest  of 
mankind  if  they  could  but  realize  what  this 
has  meant  in  the  way  of  added  force  and  ef- 
ficiency in  every  phase  of  our  Work. 

And  in  this  connection  I  am  sure  there  is 
nothing  I  can  do  or  say  that  will  mean  more 
to  the  future  success  of  the  Great  Work  in 
America  than  to  recommend  with  all  the  pow- 
er at  my  command  that  in  every  other  Group 
throughout  the  land,  both  now  and  in  future, 
the  same  effort  be  made  by  both  men  and 
women,  to  overcome  the  Vanity  of  the  men 
which  impels  them  to  monopolize  and  domi- 
nate every  meeting  and  every  situation  where- 
in both  the  sexes  participate,  and  stimulate 
the  women  at  the  same  time  to  take  their 
natural  and  rightful  place  among  the  Group 
and  actively  participate  in  every  phase  of  the 
Work,  without  losing  their  womanly  graces, 
or  becoming  ^* mannish"  and  coarse  in  man- 
ner, or  appearance. 

By  this  method  you  will  gradually  teach 
your  men  the  meaning  and  the  practice  of 


96  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  V70RK. 

''Modesty''  and  proper  ''Humility'',  and  in 
time  enable  them  to  overcome  every  phase  of 
Vanity  which  everywhere  so  mars  the  beauty 
of  their  character.  At  the  same  time  you  will 
help  your  women  Students  to  overcome  their 
timidity,  and  gradually  establish  that  charac- 
ter of  EQUALITY  among  the  sexes,  in  an  in- 
tellectual sense,  which  will  result  in  the  most 
beautiful  and  perfect  "COMPANIONSHIP" 
among  you.  Thus  in  time,  you  will  grow  into 
the  ideal  relation  as  fellow  Students  and 
Workers,  and  will  come  to  exemplify,  in  all 
your  relations,  the  true  "Spirit  of  the 
Work," 

And  you  will  never  know  what  this  can  mean 
to  the  Work  and  the  Cause  until  you  experi- 
ence it  in  your  mutual  relations  in  that  field 
of  endeavor. 

When  the  men  and  the  women  of  this 
School,  Work  and  Movement  learn  to  respect 
each  other,  and  become  worthy  of  that  mutual 
respect,  in  an  intellectual  sense,  put  away 
that  character  of  sentimentality  which  for- 
ever stimulates  the  sex  consciousness  when 
they  meet  together  in  the  interests  of  the 
School  and  Work,  and  in  all  their  relations 
reach  the  level  of  the  "Spirit  of  the  Work", 
it  will  mean  the  beginning  of  a  new  era  in  the 
Spiritual  Evolution  of  this  Western  World — 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  97 

which  means  also  a  new  era  throughout  the 
entire  world. 

There  is  no  single  index  which  marks  the 
status  of  a  people  so  perfectly,  in  an  evolu- 
tionary sense  as  the  position  which  they  ac- 
cord to  their  women.  History  tells  this  story 
on  every  page  throughout  the  ages  past.  It 
will  tell  it  on  every  page  of  future  history. 

This  School,  recognizing  all  the  natural 
differences  between  men  and  women  arising 
out  of  the  sex  relation,  and  without  in  the 
least  attempting  to  interfere  with  nor  mini- 
mize those  natural  differentiations,  stands  for 
INTELLECTUAL  EQUALITY  of  the  sexes, 
and  accords  to  woman  her  rightful  place  as 
a  Companion  in  every  phase  of  human  life 
and  relations. 

The  man  who  does  not  respect  the  intelli- 
gence of  women  in  this  Work ;  whose  attitude 
toward  them  is  one  of  intellectual  superiority ; 
who  assumes  the  right  of  leadership  because 
he  is  a  man;  who  is  offended  when  women 
presume  to  have  ideas  and  opinions  of  their 
own,  some  of  which  may  not  be  in  harmony 
with  his  own;  who  is  either  coarse  or  dis- 
courteous of  speech  or  manner  in  the  pres- 
ence of  women ;  who  in  any  sense  offends  the 
naturally  refined  sensibilities  of  women;  or 
who  does  not  genuinely  and  whole-heartedly 


98  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

accord  to  them  the  respectful  consideration  of 
an  EQUAL — does  not  belong  in  this  School, 
nor  should  he  be  identified  with  its  Work. 

Such  a  man  should  engage  in  single  and 
mortal  combat  with  the  '^Lion  of  Intellectual 
Vanity"  which  crouches  in  front  of  him,  until 
he  has  whipped  it  into  perfect  submission,  be- 
fore he  assumes  to  stand  as  an  ^  ^  Accredited 
Representative"  of  this  School  and  Work. 
Otherwise  he  will  MIS-represent  the  ' '  Spirit 
of  the  Work"  at  every  turn  and  angle  of  his 
life. 

Henceforth  every  possible  effort  will  be 
made  to  guard  the  School  and  Work,  and  this 
particular  Movement,  against  the  admittance 
of  men  of  this  type.  The  most  rigid  tests 
will  be  applied  to  discover  wherein,  if  at  all, 
the  armor  of  their  moral  nature  is  weak,  or  in 
need  of  repairs ;  and  not  until  they  can  meet 
every  test,  and  prove  the  quality  of  their  Hu- 
mility, will  the  door  be  opened  to  them. 

There  are  other  phases  of  **  Intellectual 
Vanity"  than  those  I  have  thus  far  consid- 
ered in  this  letter.  Some  of  them  are  ex- 
ceedingly subtle  and  difficult  for  the  individ- 
ual himself  to  identify  or  even  discover,  in 
himself. 

But  they  are  all  important  and  should  be 
understood  and  appreciated  by  every  man 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  99 

who  knocks  at  the  door  of  this  School  and 
asks  to  be  admitted.  Space  forbids  that  I 
should  attempt  to  elucidate  all  of  them. 

But  I  have  said  enough,  I  hope,  to  enable 
any  man  of  average  intelligence  to  determine 
his  own  status,  insofar  as  '  *  Intellectual  Vani- 
ty" may  constitute  one  of  his  barriers  to  be 
overcome. 

And  I  sincerely  hope  also  that  I  have  put 
the  matter  in  such  form  as  to  impress  every 
man — whether  an  admitted  Student,  or  an  ap- 
plicant for  admittance  as  such — ^with  the  vital 
importance  of  the  subject. 

If  there  is  any  phase  of  it,  however,  which 
would  seem  to  any  Student,  or  reader  of  Life 
cmd  Action,  to  require  further  consideration, 
explanation,  elucidation,  or  emphasis,  I  shall 
esteem  it  a  favor  to  have  my  attention  called 
to  it.  I  will  then  endeavor  to  cover  the  sub- 
ject in  future  issues  of  this  magazine,  as  rap- 
idly as  the  multiplicity  of  demands  upon  me 
will  permit. 

In  the  mean  time  I  pray  that  every  Stu- 
dent or  Friend  of  this  School  and  Work  will 
take  this  subject  home  with  him  and  in  the 
Light  of  his  best  knowledge  study  himself  un- 
til he  is  able  to  identify  every  expression  of 
** Intellectual  Vanity''  in  his  character,  and 
then,  through  the  power  of  a  noble  inspira- 


100  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

tion,  lift  himself  to  a  plane  of  Spiritual  Un- 
foldment  wherein  such  deformities  do  not  ex- 
ist. 

A  suggestion  occurs  to  me  which  I  believe 
will  prove  of  real  value  to  those  who  will 
adopt  it.     It  is  this : — 

Inasmuch  as  space  limitations  will  not  per- 
mit me  a  more  detailed  analysis  of  the  sub- 
ject, and  since  there  are  yet  a  number  of  ele- 
ments which  enter  into  * ^ Intellectual  Vanity" 
— or  into  its  manifestations  in  human  con- 
duct— I  suggest  that  those  of  my  readers  and 
Students,  who  have  the  time  and  the  inclina- 
tion, make  a  further  analysis  of  the  subject, 
and  see  how  many  additional  phases  of  the 
subject  they  can  discover. 

And  let  me  say  in  this  connection  that  those 
who  have  never  thus  passed  themselves  in  re- 
view before  the  tribunal  of  their  own  Intelli- 
gence will  find  the  process  most  illuminating. 
Moreover,  they  will  be  astonished  to  find  in 
how  many  distinct  forms  Intellectual  Vanity 
expresses  itself  in  human  conduct. 

It  follows  with  equal  certainty  that  the  av- 
erage individual  has  but  a  dim  conception  of 
the  voluminous  manner  in  which  he  betrays 
this  deplorable  weakness  of  his  nature  to  the 
skilled  reader  of  human  character. 

Such   a    self-examination,   honestly  made 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.         101 

with  right  motives  and  purposes,  cannot  fail 
to  be  of  the  utmost  value,  and  should  go  a 
long  way  toward  the  development  of  that 
quality  of  Humility  that  is  the  beginning  of 
Wisdom. 

I  will  be  glad  to  publish  in  future  issues  of 
Life  and  Action  such  as  may  appear  to  me  to 
be  of  further  value  to  the  Students  and 
Friends  who  are  trying  to  LIVE  THE  LIFE, 

Address  all  such  communications  to  the 
Editor-in-Chief  of  this  magazine. 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  103 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

No,  4. 

In  this  series  of  letters  on  ^^The  Spirit  of 
the  WorW  I  have  a  distinct  feeling  that  I 
shall  be  able  so  to  elucidate  some  of  the  funda- 
mental principles  of  individual  life  and  ac- 
tion, outlined  in  ^^The  Great  Work'\  as  to  be 
of  real  value  and  help  to  those  who  have  made 
a  careful  study  of  that  work  and  are  trying 
to  live  the  life. 

The  principles  are  all  set  forth  clearly  and 
simply  in  the  three  authorized  text-works  of 
the  School.  I  find,  however,  from  the  nature 
of  the  questions  that  come  to  me  from  Stu- 
dents, Eeaders  and  Friends  of  the  Work  all 
over  the  world,  that  they  do  not  seem  to  find 
it  always  easy  to  make  the  definite  and  per- 
sonal application  of  the  principles  to  their 
own  individual  problems. 

These  questions  and  my  answers  thereto, 
all  of  which  may  be  found  in  the  files  of  my 
personal  correspondence,  make  it  possible  for 
me  to  repeat  them  in  the  columns  of  "Lt/e 


104  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

and  Action^'  with  very  little  expenditure  of 
time  and  effort.  In  so  doing  I  believe  that  I 
shall  be  able  to  serve  many  who  have  been 
wrestling  with  some  of  the  same  problems 
but  who  have  not  felt  at  liberty  to  write  to  me 
personally  and  submit  them  to  me  for  solu- 
tion. 

In  looking  over  my  files  for  the  purpose  of 
selecting  therefrom  a  theme  that  would  seem 
to  be  of  special  value,  I  find  that  in  some  form 
or  another  the  subject  of 


Self-Indulgence 

seems  to  constitute  the  background  of  many 
perplexing  problems  among  those  who  are 
earnestly  endeavoring  to  make  their  lives  re- 
flect the  true  Spirit  of  the  Work. 

At  page  297  of  ''The  Great  Work''  the  gen- 
eral principle  is  stated  with  such  clearness  as 
to  impress  any  intelligent  student  with  a  fair 
understanding  of  its  importance  as  a  thing  to 
be  reckoned  with  in  the  process  of  spiritual 
unfoldment. 

It  is  one  of  the  fundamental  weaknesses 
of  human  nature  which  touches  every  phase 
of  individual  character  and  every  element  of 
human  experience.     Out  of  it  grow  all  the  de- 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  105 

structive  habits  of  individual  life  to  which 
men  and  women  become  addicted. 

At  a  certain  point  in  the  progress  of  every 
Student  of  this  School  he  is  brought  face  to 
face  with  this  fundamental  problem  of  Self- 
indulgence,  and  asked  for  a  critical  analysis 
of  such  progress  as  he  may  have  made,  if  any, 
toward  the  mastery  of  this  fatal  weakness 
[fatal  if  not  overcome]. 

He  is  asked  if  he  is  still  under  the  control 
of  any  *'HabiV^  which  he  recognizes  as  de- 
structive. Many  other  questions  bearing  on 
the  various  phases  of  ^^  Self-indulgence ''  are 
asked,  only  that  both  Student  and  Instructor 
may  have  a  clearer  understanding  of  his  par- 
ticular status,  and  of  how  best  to  meet  his 
needs. 

Not  long  ago  one  of  my  well-beloved  Stu- 
dents reached  the  point  in  his  work  where  it 
became  necessary  for  him  to  respond  to  the 
series  of  questions  on  this  subject.  Among 
other  things  he  replied  that  he  still  found 
himself  a  victim  of  the  ^Hohacco  habit  ^\ 

His  letter  and  my  reply  cover  a  number  of 
points  which  will  doubtless  be  of  equal  value 
to  many  others;  for  the  subject  of  ^^ Habits*' 
is  coming  up  constantly,  and  I  am  the  con- 
stant recipient  of  almost  innumerable  ques- 
tions, from  both  men  and  women,  asking  for 


106         THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

information  and  help  along  almost  as  many 
different  lines  of  difficulty. 

In  view  of  this  fact,  it  occurs  to  me  that  I 
cannot  cover  a  more  important  subject  in  a 
better  way  for  the  readers  of  Life  and  Ac- 
tion than  by  publishing  my  own  letter  in  the 
case  to  which  I  have  referred.  Without 
name  or  address,  by  which  to  identify  the 
particular  Student,  here  is  the  part  of  my 
own  letter  which  refers  to  the  subject  under 
consideration : — 

**Dear  Friend: — The  frankness  and  evi- 
dent sincerity  of  your  answers  to  the  several 
important  and  searching  questions  contained 
in  my  last  letter  have  far  more  than  compen- 
sated for  the  time  you  have  taken.  Instead 
of  condemning  you  for  the  long  delay,  I  com- 
mend you  most  earnestly  and  unreservedly 
for  the  effort  you  have  made  to  give  me  the 
exact  information  asked  for,  and  for  the  time 
you  have  taken  that  each  answer  may  be  full, 
complete  and  responsive  to  the  question. 
Otherwise  you  very  easily  might  have  slight- 
ed some  of  your  answers  in  such  manner  as 
to  have  evaded  my  questions  and  made  it 
necessary  for  me  to  ask  you  for  further  in- 
formation to  complete  your  Eecord  and  thus 
enable  me  to  reach  a  right  conclusion. 

**In  answer  to  my  third  question  you  say: 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.         107 

^Natural  Science  has  not  only  met  my  oMtici- 
pations,  but  more — much  more.  There  are 
things  that  have  opened  up  to  me,  as  a  con- 
sequence of  the  study  and  the  work  I  gave  to 
it,  which  were  far  beyond  anything  I  possi- 
bly could  have  anticipated. 

**  *For  instance:  The  Living  of  the  Life; 
the  problems  of  Equity,  Justice  and  Right; 
of  Duty;  the  real  meaning  of  Love,  and  of 
Personal  Responsibility — these  were  all  fa- 
miliar to  me,  as  mere  words  and  phrases; 
but  in  the  light  of  Natural  Science  they  are 
invested  with  entirely  new  meanings  which 
are  at  once  both  beautiful  and  purpose  fid; 
and  these,  in  turn,  are  multiplied  by  the  en- 
lightenment that  comes  from  a  study  and 
practice  of  the  precepts  of  the  Great  School'. 

*^A11  this  is  deeply  gratifying,  in  that  it 
indicates  an  understanding  and  appreciation 
of  the  meaning  and  purpose  of  the  Work  and 
an  earnest  desire  to  exemplify  its  real  Spirit. 
For  all  this  you  are  justly  entitled  to  com- 
mendation, and  it  is  a  privilege  to  me  to  ex- 
press, in  some  small  measure,  my  deep  and 
sincere  appreciation. 

**Many  other  expressions  contained  in 
your  several  answers  and  explanations  con- 
vey to  me  the  unmistakable  evidence  of  your 
understanding  and  appreciation  of  the  Spirit 


108  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

and  Purpose  of  the  Work,  and  an  earnest 
desire  to  realize  their  fulfilment  in  your  own 
life. 

*  *  For  these  also  you  have  my  appreciation 
and  commendation.  I  only  wish  it  continued 
so  to  the  end  of  the  chapter,  for  in  that  event 
my  own  course  would  be  entirely  clear  and 
my  duty  equally  pleasant  and  gratifying. 

*^Such,  however,  is  not  the  case.  While  it 
is  evident  to  my  mind  that  you  have  gained  a 
clear  understanding  of  the  working  princi- 
ples of  Natural  Science,  and  a  definite  knowl- 
edge of  the  Constructive  Principle  of  Nature 
in  its  application  to  your  own  individual  life ; 
and  that  you  also  have  made  considerable 
progress  along  the  ^Road  to  the  South' — 
nevertheless,  the  record  shows,  with  regret- 
table clearness  and  unwelcome  precision,  that 
there  are  some  ugly  and  formidable  obstacles 
in  your  way,  at  which  you  have  arrived  and 
of  which  you  are  aware,  which  you  must 
either  remove  or  climb  over,  before  it  is  pos- 
sible for  you  to  move  forward  and  meet  cer- 
tain savage  and  hungry  ^Lions'  that  are 
waiting  to  try  conclusions  with  you,  further 
along  on  your  way. 

**A11  it  is  possible  for  an  Instructor  to  do 
for  you  is  to  point  out  the  Eoad  you  are  to 
travel,   and  help  you  to  discover  such  ob- 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  109 

stacles  as  may  be  in  your  way.  You  alone 
must  do  the  walking,  and  you  alone  must  re- 
move all  the  obstacles  from  your  pathway. 

^* Early  in  your  journey  to  the  South,  you 
found  yourself  face  to  face  with  the  monster, 
^' Vanity^ \  You  grappled  courageously  and 
determinedly  with  it,  and  so  far  have  you 
conquered  it  that  its  vitality  is  rapidly  wan- 
ing. No  longer  does  it  mock  you  and  dare 
you,  and  so  it  has  almost  ceased  to  block  your 
way. 

^'In  turn  you  have  met  Dogmatism,  Asser- 
tiveness,  Irritability,  Criticism  and  Anger; 
and  so  far  have  you  triumphed  that  you  fair- 
ly well  have  proven  your  ability  to  master 
each  and  all  of  them. 

^*So  far,  so  good.  These  splendid  victo- 
ries, over  some  of  the  most  aggressive  and 
powerful  enemies  of  individual  progress  and 
spiritual  unfoldment,  are  evidences  of  your 
ability  to  master  even  greater  and  more  pow- 
erful foes — for  every  triumph  multiplies 
your  powers  and  resources,  and  makes  the 
way  easier  to  travel. 

^*You  therefore  have  just  ground  for  self- 
confidence  and  every  reason  to  press  forward 
with  renewed  courage,  added  energy  and 
greater  assurance. 

^^But  in  your  answer  to  my  seventh  ques- 


110         THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

tion  you  betray  the  one  dominant  weakness 
of  your  nature.  It  is  the  same  that  saps 
the  vitality  of  most  men  and  makes  of  them 
Slaves  instead  of  Masters, 

Self-indulgence 

''This  it  is  that  causes  you  to  surrender  to 
the  habit  of  smoking.  This  it  is  that  leads, 
everywhere  and  always,  into  all  kinds  of  hab- 
its. And  every  habit — whether  it  be  that  of 
smoking,  or  chewing,  or  drinking — is  ac- 
quired only  through  some  form  of  Self-in- 
dulgence. And  it  always  makes  one  a  Slave 
but  never  a  Master,  It  must  therefore  be 
clear  to  you  that  it  is  a  form  of  Subjection, 
and  stands  directly  in  the  road  to  Master- 
ship. 

''It  is  true  that  some  habits  are  more  de- 
structive than  others.  It  is  also  true  that 
some  are  more  obnoxious  than  destructive. 
But  every  habit — whether  more  filthy  and 
dirty  than  destructive,  or  more  destructive, 
per  se,  than  repellant — ^is  a  badge  of  Servi- 
tude, just  the  same.  It  stands  between  the 
individual  and  true  Mastership. 

"No  man  can  ever  achieve  the  goal  of  true 
spiritual  Mastership  while  there  yet  remains 
to  him  a  single  hahit  [the  result  of  self-indul- 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  Ill 

gence]  to  which  he  is  a  slave,  or  over  which 
he  has  not  yet  established  absolute  and  per- 
manent mastery. 

*' '  Smoking — from  the  view-point  of  a  Jiahit 
— ^is  physically  less  destructive  than  it  is  re- 
pellant  to  those  who  dislike  the  odor  of  to- 
bacco. 

^^But  the  hahit  is  a  distinct  bar  to  Spiritu- 
al Unfoldment  and  progress,  and  hence  must 
be  mastered  by  all  who  seek  to  become  dem- 
onstrators of  the  Law. 

*  *  To  appreciate  this  more  fully,  it  is  neces- 
sary to  know  that  tobacco,  in  amy  form,  is 
coarsening  in  its  effects  upon  the  tissues  of 
the  physical  body.  And  since  Spiritual  Un- 
foldment involves  a  refining  process  all  along 
the  line,  physically  as  well  as  spiritually,  it 
must  be  clear  to  anyone  [who  is  able  to  rea- 
son] that  to  one  who  is  seeking  to  fit  himself 
for  Spiritual  Unfoldment  and  Mastership,  in 
accordance  with  the  demands  of  Natural  Sci- 
ence, it  is  a  distinct  obstacle  and  a  real  detri- 
ment. 

*^But  it  is  not  a  crime ^  nor  is  it  necessarily 
a  svn.  One  may  be  a  thoroughly  good  man 
— in  point  of  honesty,  sincerity,  humility  and 
all  the  virtues  of  a  moral  and  an  upright  life 
and  character — and  yet  he  may,  at  the  same 
time,  be  a  slave  to  the  habit  of  smoking. 


112         THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

*^It  is  equally  true,  however,  that  he  can- 
not be  a  thoroughly  clean  man  [physically], 
nor  physically  refined,  and  at  the  same  time 
have  the  tissues  of  his  physical  body  satu- 
rated with  nicotine,  until  his  breath  is  sur- 
charged with  the  stale  odor  of  tobacco. 

*^  Neither  can  he  attain  *  Independent  Spir- 
itual Illumination',  as  a  Student  of  Natural 
Science,  while  he  is  yet  a  subject  of  the  to- 
bacco habit  —  or  any  other  habit  that  is 
stronger  than  his  own  independent  power  of 
Will. 

^  ^  The  principle  involved  is  simple  and  easi- 
ly understood.  Nevertheless,  it  is  as  inflexi- 
ble, immutable  and  unavoidable  as  Natural 
Law — as  inevitable  as  the  Decrees  of  the 
Great  Universal  Intelligence,  in  its  applica- 
tion to  and  its  effects  upon  the  evolutionary 
growth  of  the  human  Soul  and  the  progress 
of  every  individual  Student  of  this  School  in 
his  own  personal  journey  to  the  South;  and 
it  must  be  figured  into  the  Time-table  and 
Train-schedule  on  which  he  is  running,  in  or- 
der to  determine  with  any  degree  of  accuracy 
the  time  of  his  arrival  at  the  Grand  Central 
Station  in  the  ^City  of  Sarras',  on  the  ever- 
green shores  of  the  Eiver  of  Life,  in  the  Land 
of  Liberty  and  Light. 

**From  the  spirit  in  which  you  have  an- 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  113 

swered  my  several  questions,  and  the  manly 
way  in  which  you  have  looked  yourself  over 
in  the  light  of  your  knowledge  of  the  Law, 
and  with  evident  impartiality  refused  to 
spare  yourself  in  many  instances  where  si- 
lence alone  would  have  done  so — I  am  certain 
that  you  not  only  want  the  Truth  from  me, 
but  as  nearly  the  whole  Truth  and  nothing 
hut  the  Truth,  as  it  is  possible  for  me  to  con- 
vey to  you,  free  from  any  effort  on  my  part 
to  spare  you  the  shock  of  humiliation  likely 
to  follow  therefrom. 

^^I  wish  I  could  feel  the  same  degree  and 
quality  of  assurance  in  every  instance  where 
my  responsibility  to  the  Cause,  the  School, 
the  Work  and  the  Individual  demands  of  me 
the  rendition  and  formulation  of  such  un- 
biased decisions  and  judgments  as  carry  with 
them  the  responsibilities  of  heartaches  or 
disappointments — for  it  would  make  my  task 
far  less  difficult  if  I  could  always  have  the 
same  unmistakable  feeling  of  assurance  that 
the  Truth  alone  is  sought,  desired  and  ex- 
pected of  me,  that  it  may  be  applied  to  the 
problems  before  us  for  the  sole  purpose  of 
their  more  perfect  and  ready  solution. 

**Your  answers  establish  to  my  entire  sat- 
isfaction the  conviction  that,  however  much 
you  still  lack  the  Will  to  throw  off  this  one 


114         THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 


subjective  bond  and  make  yourself  absolute 
Master  of  this  remaining  phase  of  Self-in- 
dulgence, your  Attitude  of  Soul  is  one  of 
honesty  with  yourself,  and  therefore  com- 
mendable to  that  extent. 

**And  while  there  appears  to  be  a  tone,  or 
under-current,  of  discouragement  running 
through  your  answers  on  this  one  subject  of 
Self-indulgence,  I  want  you  to  know  that  I 
have  an  unwavering  and  abiding  faith  in  the 
righteousness  of  your  motives;  and  hence, 
in  your  ultimate  victory  over  not  alone  the 
one  habit  of  smoking,  which  seems  to  cause 
you  the  greatest  difficulty  just  at  present,  but 
each  and  all  of  the  other  habits  which  you 
recognize  as  destructive,  and  of  which  you 
still  regard  yourself  as  a  subject  rather  than 
a  Master. 

*^In  view  of  the  condition  and  status  of 
subjectivity  with  which  you  diagnose  your 
own  case,  however,  I  am  sure  that  in  your 
answer  to  my  seventh  question  you  have  giv- 
en a  just  and  correct  analysis  of  the  situa- 
tion at  the  present  time.     For,  you  say : — 

'^  ^As  far  as  I  know,  I  do  not  require  any 
further  definite  knowledge  that  would  be  of 
any  better  service  to  me  thorn  that  which  I 
now  possess  and  can  obtain  by  the  applica- 
tion of  the  principles  I  have  accepted/ 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  115 

**It  seems  to  me  that  in  view  of  all  your 
answers  contain,  and  the  intelligent  self- 
analysis  you  have  submitted,  your  conclusion 
above  quoted  is  almost,  if  not  entirely,  axio- 
matic. 

*^The  process  of  initiation  into  the  Great 
School  is  one  of  evolutionary  unfoldment.  It 
is  not  a  mere  intellectual  accomplishment, 
but  a  distinct  growth  of  the  Soul.  Every 
distinct  step  along  the  Way  of  Mastership  is, 
primarily,  one  of  intellectual  attainment. 

**To  this  end  each  Student  who  gains  ad- 
mittance is  furnished  an  Instructor  whose 
duty  it  is  to  lay  out  his  work  and  enable 
him  to  obtain  a  clear  and  firm  intellectual 
grasp  of  the  subject-matter  involved  in  each 
separate  and  distinct  step,  and  an  intelligent 
understanding  of  the  methods  and  processes 
involved  in  its  accomplishment. 

*^Thus  far  the  work  is  one  of  education, 
and  is  distinctly  an  intellectual  process  and 
achievement. 

**But  beyond  that  point  you  must  travel 
alone.  Your  Instructor  can  accompany  you 
no  further.  Thenceforth  your  work  is  one 
of  exemplification.  It  is  that  of  transmut- 
ing your  intellectual  information  into  a  defi- 
nite personal  experience.  This  is  no  longer 
a  mere  intellectual  process.    It  is  a  WORK, 


116         THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

a  PERSONAL  LABOE.  It  is  YOUE  WOEK 
and  yours  exclusively.  No  man  can  do  it  for 
you. 

*^It  is  a  growth  J  the  direct  result  of  your 
own  application  of  tlie  principles  your  In- 
structor has  taught  you,  or  helped  you  to 
learn.  He  cannot  do  your  growing.  Nature 
has  made  no  provision  for  substitutes  in  this 
branch  of  the  Work.  Every  man  must  do  his 
own  growing. 

'*And  so,  each  Student  who  arrives  at  the 
goal  of  Spiritual  Unfoldment  and  Master- 
ship must  do  his  own  traveling.  His  In- 
structor but  points  the  way.  The  Student 
must  do  the  walking  and  the  climbing  and  the 
overcoming  and  the  undergoing. 

**And  this,  my  dear  Friend,  is  where  you 
stand  to-day.  You  have  received  an  Instruc- 
tion. From  your  Instructor  you  have  learned 
every  step  of  the  way.  He  can  do  no  more 
for  you  until  you  have  taken  each  and  every 
step  he  has  pointed  out  to  you.  When  you 
have  traversed  the  way  to  the  point  where 
his  instruction  ends,  you  will  then  be  ready 
for  further  instruction,  but  not  until  then. 

**My  suggestion  is  that  during  the  time 
you  are  devoting  to  this  work  of  making  the 
practical  application  of  the  instructions  you 
already  have  received,  and   in    establishing 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.         117 

your  absolute  mastery  over  the  destructive 
'habits'  to  which  you  refer  in  your  answers 
numbered  7  and  8,  and  the  'subjective'  con- 
ditions to  which  you  refer  in  number  10,  you 
devote  such  time  as  you  can  command  for 
reading  and  study,  to  such  a  review  and  de- 
tailed inquisitorial  study  of  the  three  books 
as  I  have  indicated  in  my  leading  article  in 
the  November-December,  1911,  Life  and  Ac- 
tion, under  the  title  'Careless  Reading  and 
Readers'.   I  make  this  suggestion: — 

1.  Because  it  will  serve  to  keep  your  mind 
refreshed  upon  the  subject-matter  of  the  in- 
structions you  already  have  received. 

2.  Assuming  that  you  desire  to  go  forward 
in  your  Work  until  you  fully  qualify  as  an 
accredited  representative  and  an  Instructor 
duly  qualified  to  give  to  others  what  you  have 
received,  and  thus  become  one  of  my  Help- 
ers, it  will  be  in  the  direct  line  of  your  great- 
est need,  and  will  accomplish  the  thing  that 
will  help  you  most. 

3.  In  that  event,  you  will  want  to  take  the 
regular  Examination  for  which  the  Students 
are  now  in  course  of  preparation  all  over  the 
country,  and  it  will  be  in  the  direct  line  of 
your  preparation. 

4.  If  for  any  reason  you  should  not,  in  this 
life,  so  far  achieve  the  degree  and  quality  of 


118         THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

self-mastery  that  would  entitle  you  to  further 
definite  instruction  from  an  Accredited  In- 
structor, the  study  of  the  books  here  suggest- 
ed is  the  one  thing  that  would  be  of  greatest 
service  to  you.  It  would  enable  you  to  go 
forward  with  your  work  of  Spiritual  Unf old- 
ment,  and  enable  you  to  LIVE  THE  LIFE 
and  EXEMPLIFY  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE 
WORK,  without  the  aid  of  a  further  person- 
al instruction. 

**I  hope  I  have  made  clear  the  fact  that  I 
appreciate  the  frankness  of  your  answers  to 
my  searching  questions,  and  the  value  of  the 
information  you  herein  have  given  me,  and 
the  fact  that  I  shall  hold  it  all  as  a  strictly 
personal  confidence. 

^^I  hope  also  that  I  have  omitted  nothing 
that  would  make  clear  to  you  the  fact  that 
my  earnest  desire  has  been,  and  is,  to  be  of 
all  the  help  possible  to  you  in  your  efforts  to 
exemplify  the  Spirit  of  the  Work  and  attain 
to  the  status  of  self-mastery  necessary  to 
make  you  a  consistent  Instructor  and  an  Ac- 
credited Representative  of  the  School  and 
Work. 

**With  sincere  friendship  and  good  will, 
and  all  good  wishes  for  your  further  progress 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  119 

toward  the  goal  of  complete  self-mastery,  I 
remain,  Cordially  and  fraternally, 

There  is  one  most  important  phase  of  this 
entire  subject  that  has  not  been  touched  upon 
in  this  article.  I  did  not  mention  it  to  my 
Student  whose  habit  of  tobacco  smoking  has 
caused  him  so  much  agony.  I  had  my  rea- 
sons for  omitting  it,  in  his  case. 

I  refer  to  the  Spiritual  side  of  the  problem 
entirely.  Let  us  consider  such  phases  of  the 
subject  as  apply  directly  to  the  case  of  my 
Student  with  the  tobacco  habit: — 

1.  In  order  that  those  who  read  this  article 
may  obtain  the  broadest  and  most  compre- 
hensive view  of  the  subject,  let  me  suggest 
that  you  begin  by  reading  part  of  a  chapter 
in  ^^The  Great  Psychological  Crime^\  Please 
begin  at  page  240,  second  paragraph,  cover- 
ing the  illustrations  cited,  and  read  carefully 
to  the  end  of  that  chapter. 

2.  Then  let  us  apply  the  facts  therein  stat- 
ed to  the  case  of  my  Student,  or  to  anyone 
else  who  is  afflicted  with  the  tobacco  habit : — 

[a].  It  is  a  Fact  of  Nature,  that  there  are 
thousands  on  the  lowest  spiritual  plane,  and 
even  in  the  magnetic  field,  who  have  been 
great  tabacco  users  during  their  earth  life. 


120         THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

They  have  passed  into  the  other  life  with  the 
*^ tobacco  habit"  thoroughly  fixed  upon  them. 

[b].  As  in  the  illustrations  above  referred 
to,  they  find  no  means  of  gratifying  their  to- 
bacco appetite  upon  the  spiritual  side  of  life. 

[c].  They  therefore  seek  the  associations 
of  those  yet  upon  the  earth  plane  who  use 
tobacco,  and  by  establishing  the  closest  and 
most  intimate  relations  possible  with  them, 
they  are  enabled  to  absorb  some  of  the  mag- 
netism of  the  physically  embodied  man,  and 
thereby  obtain  some  of  the  effects  of  tobacco 
which  partially  relieves  or  gratifies  the  crav- 
ing they  have  for  tobacco. 

[d].  If  the  Students  and  Friends  of  this 
School  [who  indulge  in  the  habit  of  chewing 
or  smoking  tobacco]  could  but  take  one  clear 
view  of  their  spiritual  surroundings  when 
they  are  in  the  midst  of  indulging  themselves, 
I  verily  believe  it  would  be  a  sufficient  shock 
to  cure  them  instantly  and  forever,  however 
completely  they  may  have  surrendered  to  the 
habit  theretofore. 

The  man  who  takes  his  cigars  or  his  pipe  to 
his  den  at  home,  for  his  evening  ^* smoke'', 
is  universally  followed,  or  accompanied,  by 
as  many  spiritual  victims  of  the  same  habit 
as  can  crowd  themselves  into  his  environ- 
ment, or  tobacco  atmosphere.     They  do  this 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  121 

for  the  purpose  of  absorbing  as  much  of  the 
results  of  his  smoking  as  they  can,  to  gratify 
their  appetites  for  tobacco. 

The  same  is  true  of  the  tobacco  smoker, 
wherever  he  may  be.  He  is  followed,  or  ac- 
companied, by  those  upon  the  spiritual  plane 
who  are  seeking  to  use  him  as  far  as  possible 
as  a  channel  through  whom  to  gratify  their 
own  appetites. 

This  constant  association  enables  the  spir- 
itual *^ tobacco  fiends",  in  course  of  time,  to 
establish  very  close  relations  with  the  earth- 
ly smoker.  And  this  association  has  enabled 
the  spiritual  smokers  to  develop  the  subjec- 
tive psychic  relation  in  many  cases. 

The  only  way  of  getting  free  from  such  a 
condition  and  relation  is  by  mastering  the 
tobacco  habit  here  and  now. 

The  moment  the  physical  tobacco  user  has 
mastered  his  habit,  that  moment  he  has  bro- 
ken the  bond  between  himself  and  his  *  *  band" 
of  spiritual '  *  tobacco  fiends ' '.  That  moment 
he  invites  into  his  spiritual  atmosphere  the 
clean  and  wholesome  intelligences  of  the  spir- 
itual spheres ;  and  if  he  will  but  ask  them  to 
help  him  overcome  his  own  personal  appe- 
tite, he  can  depend  upon  it  that  he  will  re- 
ceive all  the  help  they  can  render  him. 

I  will  not  dwell  upon  this  phase  of  the  sub- 


122         THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

ject  further  than  to  say  that  if  the  reader 
will  make  a  study  of  those  chapters  of  ^^The 
Great  Psychological  Crime' ^  which  disclose 
the  principle  involved,  and  also  make  a  spe- 
cific application  of  the  illustrations  given,  he 
will  need  no  further  urging  to  enable  him  to 
*^  break  the  habit '^  and  do  it  at  once  and  ef- 
fectually. 

The  letter  from  which  the  foregoing  is 
quoted  was  received  by  my  Student  in  the 
true  Spirit  of  the  Work,  I  am  sure  it  will 
be  a  matter  of  interest,  as  well  as  gratifica- 
tion, to  the  readers  of  Life  and  Action,  to 
know  that  he  has  finally  triumphed  and  has 
** slain  the  Lion"  that  heretofore  has  caused 
him  so  much  trouble  and  so  much  suffering. 

Doubtless  the  suggestions  contained  in  my 
letter  to  him  on  the  subject  of  '^Habits''  will 
raise  a  good  many  questions  in  the  minds  of 
those  who  read  it.  I  am  going  to  see  if  I  can 
anticipate  a  few  of  them,  and  give  the  an- 
swers at  the  same  time: — 

1.  Does  the  Great  School  prohibit  the  use 
of  tobacco? 

No.  It  does  not  ''prohibit''  the  use  of 
anything  that  men  and  women  choose  to  eat, 
drink,  wear,  or  absorb  into  their  systems.  It 
is  not  a  ''Prohibition  Society". 

It  endeavors  to  point  out,  to  all  who  have 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.         123 

confidence  in  it  sufficient  to  seek  its  instruc- 
tion, the  Laws,  Principles  and  Processes  of 
Nature  governing  the  constructive  develop- 
ment of  human  beings. 

It  endeavors  to  point  out  the  things  that 
are  destructive  in  their  effects  upon  the  in- 
dividual, and  those  that  are  constructive,  and 
make  clear  the  definite  and  specific  effects  of 
each,  so  that  the  individual  may  have  before 
him  a  clear  and  reliable  chart  of  the  two 
Roads,  and  the  two  Ways  of  Life,  and  a  defi- 
nite knowledge  of  which  leads  to  Immortality 
and  Individual  Happiness,  and  which  to  De- 
struction and  Individual  Suffering  and 
Wretchedness. 

When  it  has  done  this  it  has  fulfilled  its 
mission.  It  is  then  a  matter  of  Individual 
Choice  with  the  Individual  Student.  It  is 
his  prerogative  to  choose  which  road  he  will 
travel.  Once  he  knows  the  right  and  the 
wrong  of  any  subject,  it  is  thereafter  not  in 
the  rightful  jurisdiction  of  any  School  to  tell 
him  what  he  shall  do. 

2.  Does  the  School  approve  the  use  of  to- 
bacco ? 

No,  not  as  a  general  proposition.  But 
there  are  established  conditions  wherein  the 
School  would  not  assume  the  responsibility 
of  recommending  its  discontinuance. 


124         THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

To  those  who  have  not  yet  acquired  the 
habit,  it  would  say  that,  so  far  as  science 
knows,  there  is  no  good  to  be  derived  from 
its  use.  There  are  some  had  effects  in  a  suf- 
ficient number  of  instances  to  indicate 
strongly  that  tobacco  is  not  a  constructive 
agency  in  the  physical  organism.  To  all  who 
are  not  yet  addicted  to  its  use  the  School 
would  recommend  that  they  are  better  with- 
out it. 

To  a  few,  however,  who  have  spent  many 
years  in  acquiring  the  habit,  and  whose  bod- 
ies have  become  so  completely  saturated  with 
its  poisonous  qualities  that  the  discontinu- 
ance of  its  use  might  result  in  heart  failure, 
and  who  have  arrived  at  an  age  that  would 
cause  its  discontinuance  to  result  in  the  prob- 
able shortening  of  life — the  School  would  not 
recommend  its  complete  discontinuance. 

In  other  words,  it  is  an  individual  problem 
concerning  which  a  wise  discretion  should  be 
exercised. 

Speaking  for  myself  alone,  let  me  say  that 
tobacco  chewing  is  about  as  unclean  a  per- 
formance as  any  in  which  men  indulge.  But 
it  is  wo ^  a  crime.  Neither  should  it  be  held 
an  oifense  against  the  recognized  amenities 
of  friendship. 

To  me,  however,  there  is  something  im- 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  125 

pressive  in  the  assertion  that  **  Cleanliness  is 
next  to  Godliness' \  And  perhaps  it  is  one 
of  those  natural  prejudices  that  come  from 
the  environment  of  a  large  family  of  tobacco 
chewers,  that  there  is  something  incompatible 
between  an  unclean  habit ,  or  practice j  and  an 
exalted  conception  of  a  life  of  true  spirituali- 

In  other  words,  while  cleanliness  is  not 
Godliness,  it  is  not  so  very  far  from  it,  be- 
cause it  is  "nexV\  And  I  have  a  sort  of  in- 
ner consciousness,  or  feeling,  that  it  is  a  good 
thing  to  **get  nexf  as  closely  as  may  be  pos- 
sible. 

But  please  do  not  misunderstand  me.  All 
this  does  not  mean  that  I  regard  myself  as 
superior  to  my  Brothers  who  chew  tobacco, 
nor  that  I  look  down  on  them  in  any  sense 
whatsoever.  I  am  not  unmindful  of  the  fact 
that  there  may  be  something  in  me  that  is 
just  as  obnoxious  to  my  Brother  as  his  to- 
bacco chewing  is  to  me. 

While  the  houses  in  which  we  live  may  not 
all  of  them  be  solely  of  glass;  nevertheless, 
there  are  enough  glass  windows  and  doors 
in  all  our  houses  through  which  a  good  many 
stones  might  be  thrown,  in  case  of  riots.  It 
is  therefore  not  wise  to  provoke  riot. 

As  to  tobacco  smoking,  the  odor  of  a  good 
cigar  is  not  in  the  least  offensive — to  me.  But 


126         THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

a  strong,  stale  old  pipe  is  an  affliction  to  my 
olfactory  nerves,  next  to  iodoform  and  asa- 
foetida. 

Even  the  best  of  cigars,  however,  leave 
upon  the  breath  and  the  clothing  of  the  smok- 
er a  stale  and  most  unpleasant  odor — to  me. 

While  I  am  aware  that  I  cannot  speak  with 
certainty  for  any  but  myself,  in  a  matter  of 
this  nature;  nevertheless,  I  believe  I  am  not 
far  wrong  in  my  conviction  that  the  very 
large  majority  of  refined  and  cultured  wom- 
en everywhere  are  affected  much  as  I  am  by 
the  odor  of  tobacco  smoke. 

I  do  not  know  of  any  woman  within  the 
range  of  my  personal  acquaintance  who  en- 
joys the  odor  of  stale  tobacco  smoke,  nor  that 
of  a  tobacco  breath. 

For  these  reasons,  I  believe  it  would  be  in 
the  interests  of  the  general  comfort,  if  both 
tobacco  chewing  and  smoking  were  entirely 
abandoned  by  men. 

I  am  also  quite  thoroughly  convinced  that 
it  would  be  in  the  interests  of  general  cleanli- 
ness. 

I  am  also  satisfied  that  the  general  health 
would  be  considerably  improved,  and  the  pe- 
riod of  man's  expectancy  lengthened,  if  the 
use  of  tobacco  were  entirely  abandoned. 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.         127 

3.  Do  you  prohibit  its  use  among  the  Stu- 
dents of  the  School? 

No.  That  is  a  question  for  each  individual 
Student  to  settle  between  him  and  his  con- 
science. 

But  I  do  not  hesitate  to  say  that  the  inter- 
ests of  the  School  and  the  Work,  as  well  as 
of  this  entire  Movement,  would  be  vastly  ben- 
efited and  conserved,  if  the  Students  and 
Friends  of  the  Work  would  voluntarily  aban- 
don the  use  of  tobacco  in  every  form,  and  take 
their  stand  upon  the  platform  of  personal 
cleanliness. 

There  is  something  in  the  use  of  tobacco 
that  is  distinctly  out  of  harmony  with  the 
ideals  for  which,  in  the  minds  of  men  and 
women  everywhere,  this  School  and  Work 
stand. 

On  a  number  of  occasions  during  the  last 
two  or  three  years  I  have  asked  applicants 
for  admittance,  as  Students,  to  meet  one  of 
the  Accredited  Eepresentatives  of  the  School 
in  N.  Y.  City,  for  the  purpose  of  establishing 
the  personal  acquaintance  upon  which  to  de- 
termine the  qualifications  of  the  applicants. 

On  two  distinct  occasions  the  applicant  im- 
mediately withdrew  his  application.  Later 
on  I  learned  that  the  *^  Accredited  Represen- 
tative" to  whom  I  had  sent  them,  was  an  in- 


128         THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

veterate  smoker;  and  their  withdrawal  was 
due  to  the  shock  they  had  received  on  find- 
ing the  School  represented  by  a  man  who  was 
saturated  with  tobacco,  and  his  office,  his 
clothing  and  his  breath  surcharged  with  its 
stale  odor. 

There  may,  perhaps,  be  some  who  will  feel 
that  an  applicant  who  is  so  sensitive,  or  so 
aesthetic,  as  to  let  a  matter  of  this  character 
stand  between  him  and  the  Work,  is  not 
ready  for  it.  But  I  have  to  admit  that,  from 
my  own  exalted  ideals  of  the  School  and  all 
that  it  stands  for,  I  find  it  impossible  to  con- 
demn him. 

If  I  were  earnestly  seeking  a  **  Spiritual 
Adviser",  to  point  out  to  me  the  pathway  to 
** Spiritual  Illumination'',  and  I  should  go 
to  his  '^ Study''  [wherein  he  has  made  a  Spir- 
itual atmosphere  in  which  to  work,  and  in 
which  to  enjoy  ^^ Spiritual  Communion''^  and 
I  should  find  him  with  a  dirty  old  pipe  in  his 
mouth,  and  his  Study  filled  with  a  dense 
cloud  of  tobacco  smoke — I  am  sure  it  would 
be  a  serious  shock  to  me. 

Not  only  that, — the  incongruity  of  such  a 
situation  would  have  a  very  strong  tendency 
to  shake  my  faith  in  his  honesty  and  sin- 
cerity. The  utter  inconsistency  of  his  life 
and  his  profession  in  such  case  is  so  clearly 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  129 

apparent  as  to  raise  all  manner  of  doubts  and 
uncertainties  in  the  mind  of  an  earnest 
seeker. 

The  same  thing  is  literally  true  in  the  case 
of  one  who  is  known  to  be  an  **  Accredited 
Student'^  of  this  School.  He  is  supposed  to 
exemplify  in  his  life  and  conduct  the  exalted 
principles  for  which  the  School  stands.  Not 
only  that — he  is  expected,  by  those  who  have 
read  the  books,  to  conform  his  life  to  the  re- 
finements which  lead  to  Constructive  Spiritu- 
al Unfoldment. 

This  is  not  in  line  with  the  coarsening  ef- 
fects of  the  use  of  tobacco ;  and  the  instant 
he  is  discovered  to  be  a  slave  to  the  use  of  it, 
his  influence  for  good  in  the  School  is  greatly 
impaired  if  not  entirely  destroyed. 

4.  Would  you  admit  a  tobacco  user  to  the 
''Technical  Work?'' 

No.  That  is  to  say,  not  until  he  has  dis- 
continued its  use,  and  cleansed  his  system 
from  its  effects. 

The  reason  for  this  is  purely  scientific.  As 
indicated  in  my  letter  hereinbefore  quoted, 
nicotine  is  not  only  poisonous  but  it  is  dis- 
tinctly coarsening  in  its  effects  upon  the  tis- 
sues of  the  physical  body. 

For  this  reason  it  is  directly  antagonistic 
to  the  conditions  necessary  to  the  accomplish- 


130         THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORIt. 

ment  of  the  Technical  Work.  One  who  ap- 
plies for  the  Technical  Work  must  know  that 
the  process  upon  which  he  is  entering  is  one 
of  refinement  in  every  department  of  his  be- 
ing, physical  as  well  as  spiritual.  And  he  is 
not  ready  to  assume  the  responsibilities  of 
that  Work  until  he  is  also  ready  to  conform 
his  life  to  the  refining  process  involved. 

5.  Would  you  in  future,  knowingly  and  in- 
tentionally, admit  to  the  ranks  of  the  School's 
Instructors,  one  who  is  addicted  to  the  to- 
bacco habit? 

No.  And  this  is  not  because  I  would  con- 
demn such  an  individual  in  the  least.  It  is 
solely  because  of  his  adverse  influence,  in 
that  position,  upon  those  who  are  seeking  for 
Light,  to  whom  such  an  Instructor  would  be 
a  stumbling-block. 

The  problem  of  constructive  personal  influ- 
ence is  one  that  demands  the  attention  and 
consideration  of  every  Student,  and  more 
especially  every  Accredited  Eepresentative 
and  Instructor  of  this  School.  We  cannot 
ignore  it  and  at  the  same  time  hope  to  serve 
the  best  interests  of  the  Cause  in  which  we 
are  enlisted. 

There  are  some  self-denials,  for  the  sake 
of  others,  which  we  all  must  be  ready  to  make 


THE  SPIRIT  OP  THE  WORK.  131 

whenever  the  good  of  the  Cause  demands  it. 
And  we  must  do  it  cheerfully  and  willingly. 

And  this  matter  of  our  habits,  or  our  in- 
dulgences, even  when  we  are  convinced  that 
they  do  not  injure  us  personally,  is  one  of  the 
things  to  which  I  refer. 

By  virtue  of  our  relation  to  the  School,  the 
Work  and  the  Cause,  much  is  expected  of  us. 
And  even  though  we  may  justly  feel  that  too 
much  is  expected  of  us,  it  is  our  duty  to  yield 
a  point,  insofar  as  our  personal  rights  are 
concerned,  whenever  by  so  doing  our  influ- 
ence for  good  among  the  great  world  that 
needs  our  help  may  be  increased. 

Furthermore,  when  we  view  the  subject  of 
tobacco  and  its  use  from  an  unbiased  stand- 
point we  find  that  it  sums  up  somewhat  in 
this  manner: — 

1.  Nicotine  [one  of  the  most  prominent 
elements  contained  in  tobacco]  is  a  rank  poi- 
sonous alkaloid. 

2.  It  does  not  add  anything  to  the  construc- 
tive side  of  man's  nature  so  far  as  we  are 
able  to  determine. 

3.  In  many  instances  it  is  known  to  result 
in  great  detriment  to  the  individual  user  of  it. 

4.  Quite  aside  from  its  destructive  nature, 
the  use  of  tobacco  as  a  habit,  practice,  or 
mere  indulgence,  is — to  say  the  least — a  most 


132         THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

t 

unclean  thing,  from  any  view  we  may  take 
of  it. 

5.  To  women  [with  comparatively  rare  ex- 
ceptions] and  to  many  men  also,  the  odor  of 
tobacco,  and  the  presence  of  unclean  cuspi- 
dors, are  so  unpleasant  and  so  nauseating  as 
to  be  a  real  affliction. 

6.  Its  use  by  men  is,  at  best,  but  an  unnec- 
essary indulgence  of  a  practice  [and  in  most 
cases  an  acquired  habit],  which,  in  the  inter- 
ests of  all  concerned,  might  well  be  discon- 
tinued without  harm  to  anyone — except  in 
the  few  cases  where  the  age  of  the  user,  or 
the  long-continued  excessive  use  of  it,  might 
make  its  immediate  or  entire  discontinuance 
dangerous. 

7.  Its  effects  upon  the  tissues  of  the  phys- 
ical body  are  coarsening,  and  therefore  not  in 
harmony  with  the  refining  process  involved  in 
Constructive  Spiritual  Unfoldment. 

8.  Its  presence  in  the  physical  body  is  a 
distinct  detriment  and  obstruction  to  every 
Student  of  this  School  who  shall  ever  be  ad- 
mitted to  the  ** Technical  Work",  or  who 
hopes  to  make  the  personal  Demonstration  of 
another  life  by  Constructive  Methods. 

9.  The  use  of  tobacco  by  those  upon  whom 
rests  the  responsibilities  of  ^^  Accredited  Rep- 
resentatives''   and    ^^Instructors''    in    this 


Mk 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  133 

School  and  Work,  leaves  upon  the  minds  of 
many  who  are  earnestly  seeking  for  [and  in 
need  of]  the  knowledge  of  Natural  Science,  a 
most  unpleasant  and  unwholesome  impres- 
sion ;  and  in  many  instances  is  a  distinct  bar- 
rier to  their  progress,  and  prevents  them 
from  approaching  the  door  of  the  School  and 
asking  for  admittance. 

In  view  of  these  conditions — and  some  oth- 
ers in  line  with  them — does  it  not  seem  that 
those  who  have  the  best  interests  of  this 
Work  and  Movement  and  the  good  of  humani- 
ty deeply  and  seriously  at  heart  and  in  mind, 
might  well  afford  to  deny  themselves  what- 
ever personal  pleasure  they  could  derive 
from  their  use  of  ^^The  Weed'\  and  at  the 
same  time  set  an  example  of  personal  clean- 
liness before  the  world! 

Surely,  it  seems  to  me  that  this  is  so ;  and 
I  do  not  believe  any  earnest  and  conscientious 
Student  of  this  School,  or  seeker  after  the 
knowledge  it  has  to  offer  to  the  world,  will 
take  exception  to  my  method  of  presenting 
the  subject  in  this  letter. 

More  especially  does  this  appear  to  me  to 
be  true,  inasmuch  as  what  I  have  said  is  of- 
fered in  the  spirit  of  friendly  suggestions  and 
not  as  arbitrary  personal  views  forced  upon 
unwelcome  readers  at  the  expense  of  their  in- 


134         THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

dividual  rights,  or  in  violation  of  Conscience. 

To  me,  every  Student  of  this  School  is  a 
personal  Friend,  in  whose  individual  well-be- 
ing and  happiness  I  am  deeply  and  honestly 
interested.  My  purpose,  intent  and  hope  are 
that  I  may  be  able  to  be  of  some  real  and 
practical  service  to  all  my  Students,  and 
through  them  to  the  rest  of  mankind. 

I  want  to  be  truly  worthy  of  the  confidence 
they  repose  in  me,  as  well  as  of  the  generous 
and  affectionate  friendship  they  cherish  for 
me,  and  for  the  blessed  **Lady  Florence",  the 
^'EA'',  whose  life  and  example  have  been  a 
noble  inspiration  to  all  who  knew  her. 

Her  heart  and  soul  were  as  deeply  and  gen- 
uinely enlisted  in  this  Cause  as  my  own,  and 
to  her,  far  more  than  to  myself,  is  this  pres- 
ent Movement  indebted  for  its  splendid  suc- 
cess thus  far. 

Her  beautiful  Soul  and  brilliant  Intelli- 
gence are  as  deeply  and  as  truly  interested 
in  all  that  is  being  done  in  this  Center  of  the 
School's  activities  as  when  she  sat  at  her 
desk  here  in  our  little  ''Work-shop",  clothed 
in  her  physical  body,  and  radiantly  happy  in 
the  consciousness  of  serving  those  who  need- 
ed her  help  and  her  guiding  intelligence  and 
influence. 

If  there  is  any  phase  of  the  subiect  of  Self- 


THE  SPIRIT  OP  THE  WORK.  135 

Indulgence  which  requires  further  considera- 
tion or  elucidation,  I  shall  be  glad  if  my  read- 
ers will  feel  themselves  free  to  call  my  atten- 
tion to  it.  I  want  to  make  these  letters  as 
comprehensive  as  possible  in  the  time  and 
space  at  my  command. 

More  and  more  the  vital  importance  of 
knowing  what  constitutes  the  ^*  Spirit  of  the 
Work''  and  of  ^^ Living  the  Life''  in  such 
manner  that  the  one  shall  exemplify  the  oth- 
er, is  impressing  itself  upon  the  minds  of  the 
Students  and  Friends  of  the  Work  every- 
where. 

Step  by  step  they  are  learning  the  lessons 
of  Natural  Science,  and  how  to  apply  its  prin- 
ciples and  teachings  to  the  problems  of  their 
individual  lives. 

One  by  one  they  are  learning  the  Principles 
of  the  formulary  of  Constructive  Spiritual 
Unf oldment ;  and,  slowly  but  surely,  they  are 
learning  to  make  the  demonstrations  which 
prove  the  correctness  and  the  scientific  accu- 
racy of  the  formulary. 

My  hope  is  that  in  these  letters  I  shall  be 
able  to  elucidate  '^The  Spirit  of  the  Work" 
in  such  manner  and  with  such  clearness  as 
to  make  the  ^^ Living  of  the  Life"  more  and 
more  simple,  easy  and  natural  with  each  and 


136  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

every  added  step  we  take  together  along  the 
ROAD  TO  THE  SOUTH, 

And  I  want  every  Student  to  know,  and  to 
realize  it  with  the  most  absolute  certainty, 
that  I  am  not  applying  one  rule  to  them  and 
another  to  myself.  I  want  them  to  know  that 
I  am  holding  myself  to  the  same  rigid  and  ex- 
acting accountability  that  the  Law  holds  us 
all. 

I  know  that  they  expect  much  of  me  in  my 
capacity  as  their  present  Instructor.  And  it 
is  right  that  they  should.  With  all  my  heart 
and  Soul  I  shall  endeavor  not  to  disappoint 
them. 

And  as  far  as  may  be  possible  I  want  to 
help  them  so  to  exemplify  ''The  Spirit  of  the 
WorW  in  their  own  Lives  that  they  shall  not 
disappoint  those  who  look  to  them  and  expect 
much  of  them. 

To  that  end  we  must  none  of  us  forget  for 
one  instant  that  the  eyes  of  the  world  are  for- 
ever upon  us,  constantly  measuring  our  lives 
by  the  standards  which  they  conceive  to  rep- 
resent the  ''Spirit  of  the  Work/' 

To  forget  means  failure  on  our  part,  and 
thus  failure  of  the  School  to  accomplish  that 
which  the  world  expects  of  it. 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.         137 

Let  us,  therefore,  here  and  now  renew  our 
mutual  pledge  of  good  faith,  and  with  added 
effort  strive  to  LIVE  THE  LIFE  in  such 
manner  that  those  who  find  their  way  to  the 
door  of  the  School  shall  not  go  away  disap- 
pointed because  of  any  failure  on  our  part. 
AMEN!!! 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  139 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

No.  5. 

There  is,  perhaps,  nothing  more  natural, 
and  it  would  seem  also  nothing  more  com- 
mendable, than  the  desire  of  the  real  Stu- 
dents and  Friends  of  the  Work  to  come  into 
personal  touch  and  acquaintance  with  one  an- 
other throughout  the  country. 

Again  and  again  the  inquiry  comes  to  me 
from  those  of  the  Students  and  Friends  who 
are  traveling,  or  who  contemplate  doing  so, 
whether  I  will  open  the  way  for  them  to  meet 
such  of  the  Students  and  Friends  as  may  be 
in  the  lines  of  their  travels. 

It  has  given  me  sincere  pleasure  to  comply 
with  these  requests,  as  far  as  I  have  found  it 
possible — and,  as  far  as  it  has  seemed  to  me 
entirely  within  the  Spirit  and  Purposes  of 
the  Work. 

Indeed,  one  of  the  long-cherished  plans 
and  hopes  of  the  beloved  ^^RA'^  and  myself 
has  been  that  we  might  some  day,  before  our 
earthly  work  has  been  finished,  be  able  to  es- 


140         THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

tablish  and  maintain  a  free  ^'Central  Bureau 
of  Information' %  through  the  medium  of 
which  it  might  be  possible  to  bring  the  Stu- 
dents and  Friends  of  Natural  Science  and  the 
Harmonic  Philosophy  into  an  understand- 
ing friendship  and  personal  acquaintance, 
throughout  the  entire  United  States. 

I  have  looked  forward  to  the  establishment 
of  such  a  ^^ Bureau' '  as  constituting  the  first 
regular  step  toward  the  inauguration  of  the 
Co-operative  relation  and  the  economic  and 
sociologic  principles  of  the  Great  School — 
the  purpose  being  to  lead  on  gradually  and 
naturally  to  a  demonstration  of  the  fact  that 
what  I  have  said  is  literally  true,  viz.,  that 
Natural  Science  has  actually  solved  the  Eco- 
nomic and  Sociologic  Problem,  as  scientifical- 
ly and  as  surely,  as  it  has  solved  some  of  the 
many  other  problems  of  human  Life  and  Ac- 
tion, with  which  some  of  us  are  acquainted. 

I  am  convinced  that  there  is  not  a  reader 
of  this  little  magazine  but  would  be  glad  to 
assist  in  the  accomplishment  of  so  laudable 
an  undertaking. 

But  we  have  all  had  experience  enough  to 
know  that  there  are  always  difficulties  in  the 
way  of  every  forward  step  in  the  onward 
march  of  human  evolution.  This,  in  truth, 
seems  to  be  one  of  Nature  ^s  methods  of  meas- 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  141 

uring  the  distance  we  have  traveled  along 
this  wonderful  journey  of  human  progress  to- 
ward the  goal  of  our  highest  ideals,  as  well 
as  of  determining  the  speed  we  have  been 
able  to  attain  at  any  given  time. 

That  is  to  say,  nature  is  ever  trying  us 
and  testing  us  with  all  manner  of  obstacles 
and  difficulties,  to  ascertain  how  much  we 
have  grown,  and  how  much  more  we  now  are 
able  to  endure  or  overcome  than  we  were  last 
year,  or  at  some  other  previous  date. 

And  it  would  seem  that  the  measuring  is 
done  by  placing  barriers  and  obstacles  along 
the  way,  in  such  manner  and  at  such  points, 
that  we  cannot  avoid  them,  but  must  over- 
come or  remove  them  before  we  may  proceed 
further  along  the  journey  of  life. 

The  foregoing  applies  not  alone  to  indi- 
viduals but  to  aggregations  of  individuals 
who  are  endeavoring  to  work  out  something 
of  definite  good  to  humanity  as  a  whole — 
such,  for  instance,  as  the  various  churches, 
schools,  cults  and  societies  for  the  advance- 
ment of  ethical  and  spiritual  movements. 

The  School  of  Natural  Science  is  no  excep- 
tion. I  am  vividly  conscious  of  the  fact  that 
there  are  difficulties  and  obstacles  ahead  of 
us  in  the  truly  Great  Work  we  are  endeavor- 
ing to  accomplish  here  in  America,  and  they 


142         THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

are  so  numerous  and  so  obtrusive  as  to  ap- 
pear at  every  step  of  the  way  and  thrust 
themselves  upon  our  attention. 

A  number  of  them  are  in  plain  view  at  this 
very  moment,  and  they  are  challenging  us  to 
come  out  and  meet  them  in  mortal  combat. 
We  cannot  get  by  them  without  trying  con- 
clusions with  them;  and  we  must  therefore 
not  only  meet  them  but  conquer  them  and  re- 
move them  from  our  way  before  we  can  justly 
hope  or  expect  to  make  the  demonstration  to 
which  I  have  referred. 

To  just  one  of  these  I  want  to  call  atten- 
tion in  this  article.  I  am  speaking  now  to 
those  of  my  fellow  travelers  who  desire  to 
go  with  me  to  the  end  of  the  journey  and 
share  with  me  in  the  rewards  that  await  those 
of  us  who  have  the  Courage  to  face  whatever 
dangers  and  difficulties  we  may  chance  to 
meet  and  the  determination  to  do  whatever 
Duty  may  demand  of  us  to  entitle  us  to  share 
in  those  rewards  and  benefits. 

You  will  be  surprised,  I  have  no  doubt, 
when  I  mention  the  name  of  the  particular 
''Lion''  to  which  I  refer;  for  I  find  that  very 
few  of  the  Friends  seem  even  to  have  thought 
of  it  or  otherwise  sensed  its  existence — and 
even  those  few  have  failed  to  identify  it  as 
one  of  the  hostile  variety  that  await  our  com- 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.         143 

ing  and  must  be  conquered,  subdued  and  re- 
moved before  we  can  go  further. 

On  the  other  hand,  whenever  it  is  noticed  at 
all,  it  seems  to  be  regarded  as  a  **  domestic 
animal'^ — one  that  has  been  trained  to  help 
and  serve  mankind  in  his  pioneer  work  along 
the  outskirts  of  human  progress.  Experi- 
ence, however,  has  proven  that  it  is  one  of 
the  most  formidable  and  treacherous  we  have 
to  meet  and  overcome  along  the  entire  jour- 
ney of  evolutionary  unf  oldment  in  the  realm 
of  human  society. 

In  its  definite  application  to  this  particular 
movement,  and  to  the  Great  Work  in  Amer- 
ica, I  have  reference  to  the  natural  tendency 
of  the  Students  and  Friends  of  the  Work  to 

*'Tal£e  Things  for  Granted.'' 

The  phrase  itself  is  not  very  illuminating. 
It  does  not  sound  dangerous.  It  does  not 
seem  vicious.  It  does  not  even  impress  one, 
on  first  acquaintance,  as  being  either  hostile 
or  unkind.  It  must,  therefore,  be  elucidated 
in  such  manner  as  to  bring  out  those  phases 
which  make  it  all  the  more  dangerous  merely 
because  of  the  subtle  elements  which  enter 
into  it  and  disguise  it  so  generally.  As  a  real 
"Lion/'  in  the  pathway  of  this  particular 


144         THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

movement,  it  has  reference  more  especially  to 
all  matters  which  have  any  bearing  upon  the 
mutual  relations  of  the  Students,  Friends  and 
Fellow  Workers  in  the  Great  School  and  in 
the  Common  Cause  which  brings  us  together 
and  binds  us  together  in  the  indissoluble 
bonds  of  Friendship,  Brotherly-Love,  Eelief 
and  Truth. 

I  am  referring  now  to  every  one  of  you 
who  have  accepted  commissions  in  the  army 
of  ''On  earth  Peace,  Good  Will  to  Men'' — 
who  have  pledged  yourselves  to  the  Cause  of 
^'Life,  Liberty  and  the  Pursuit  of  Happi- 
ness;^^ and  who  are  committed  to  ^^Free 
Speech,  Freedom  of  Thought,  Freedom  of 
Conscience,  Freedom  in  the  Worship  of  God, 
Free  Public  Schools,  Personal  Responsibility, 
Moral  Accountability,  the  Living  of  the  Life, 
and  the  Exemplification  of  the  Spirit  of  the 
WorJc  in  your  daily  Lives  and  Conduct.^ ^ 

And  I  want  you  to  know  also  that  I  include 
myself  as  chief  among  those  who  must  profit 
by  every  lesson  of  experience.  I  hold  myself 
personally  responsible  to  make  my  own  life 
a  worthy  example  to  all  who  travel  the  Road 
that  leads  to  the  Land  of  Liberty  and  Light,  I 
want  you  who  travel  with  me  to  remember  al- 
ways that  I  need  you  as  much  as  you  need 
me,  and  that  I  will  always  thank  you  for  any- 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  145 

thing  and  everything  you  may  do  for  me 
that  will  enable  me  the  better  to  exemplify 
the  Spirit  of  the  Work,  and  thus  make  my 
own  life  a  Beacon  Light  to  those  who  shall 
travel  this  way,  now  and  during  the  years 
that  are  to  come. 

In  order  that  you  may  know  what  is  meant 
by  the  phrase  ''Taking  things  for  granted' \ 
insofar  as  it  constitutes  a  difficulty  we  must 
overcome,  it  will  be  necessary  for  me  to  give 
you  some  of  the  many  illustrations,  from 
actual  experience,  during  the  last  few  years. 
It  would  seem  both  unnecessary  and  unwise, 
as  well  as  unjust,  to  publish  the  names  of 
those  from  whose  personal  experiences  I 
draw  these  illustrations.  It  is  sufficient  to 
know  that  they  are,  or  have  been,  active  Stu- 
dents, and  that  their  experiences  have  helped 
me  to  realize  the  vital  importance  of  the  sub- 
ject under  consideration.  May  you  who  read 
these  pages  come  to  realize,  as  I  do,  the  enor- 
mous burden  of  responsibility  that  is  upon 
those  of  us  who  are  known  to  be  the  **  Ac- 
credited Eepresentatives''  of  the  School  and 
Work  in  America. 

In  the  light  of  these  preliminaries,  let  us 
proceed  at  once  to  a  consideration  of  the  fol- 
lowing personal  experiences,  remembering  all 
the  while  that  their  narration  is  solely  for 


146         THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

the  purpose  of  enabling  us  the  better  to  see 
and  understand  wherein  we  have  been  at  fault 
in  the  past,  and  wherein  it  is  our  DUTY  to 
modify  our  course  of  Life  and  Action,  in 
order  that  we  may  retain  our  membership  in 
the  School  in  the  future.  For  it  is  a  fact 
which  all  should  know,  that  the  process  of 
elimination  has  already  begun,  and  that  as 
rapidly  as  Students  and  Friends  of  the  Work 
shall  demonstrate,  in  future,  their  inability 
or  unwillingness  to  fulfill  the  Duties  and  Ee- 
sponsibilities  they  have  assumed,  as  such, 
their  membership  in  the  School  will  be  termi- 
nated, and  all  rights  and  privileges  resulting 
from  or  incident  thereto,  will  be  abrogated 
and  annulled. 

1.  A  gentleman  from  an  eastern  City  ap- 
plied for  the  Work.  He  was  given  the  prelimi- 
nary questions,  was  brought  into  personal 
acquaintance  with  a  number  of  the  accredited 
Students  and  Friends  of  the  Work,  and  was 
subjected  to  all  the  tests  and  requirements 
necessary  to  determine  the  question  of  his 
qualifications  for  studentship. 

Answering  all  the  conditions,  at  that  time, 
he  was  admitted  to  the  Test  Course  and,  as 
such  Student,  came  into  acquaintance  with  the 
other  Students  and  Friends  of  the  Work  in 
that  city. 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  147 

He  was  out  of  employment  at  the  time  of 
his  admittance,  and  made  the  fact  known  to 
the  Students  and  Friends  there,  and  also  to 
me.  Through  the  efforts  of  the  Students  a 
position  was  secured  for  him.  He  declined  to 
accept  it,  because  it  did  not  offer  sufficient 
salary  to  meet  all  his  expenses — ^but  it  was 
that  much  better  than  nothing,  and  would 
have  tided  him  over  to  something  better,  per- 
haps. 

Clothing  was  furnished  him  by  the 
Friends,  and  other  things  done  to  help  him. 

He  began  borrowing  from  the  Students  and 
Friends,  and  in  a  very  short  time  was  in 
debt  to  most  of  them,  and  made  no  effort  to 
repay  the  amounts  borrowed,  seeming  to  as- 
sume that  it  was  the  duty  of  the  Students  to 
care  for  him  without  regard  to  business  prin- 
ciples or  material  considerations. 

His  next  move  was  to  ask  me  for  money 
enough  to  go  across  the  continent  to  San 
Francisco,  in  search  of  worh. 

I  declined  the  honor,  and  learned  later  that 
I  was  set  down  as  a  very  poor  Eepresenta- 
tive  of  the  Great  School  inasmuch  as  I  would 
not  **help  a  man  who  was  out  of  employ- 
ment '  \ 

This  man  made  the  mistake  of  ^'taking  for 
granted"  that  those  who  become  Students  of 


148         THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

this  School  are  fools,  and  that  they  can  be 
imposed  upon  indefinitely,  out  of  a  false 
sense  of  DUTY. 

He  seemed  also  to  take  for  granted  that 
the  School  is  a  sort  of  Free  Employment 
Bureau  which  furnishes  select  positions  to 
all  its  Students,  regardless  of  their  abilities 
or  merits,  and  provides  them  with  money  to 
travel  over  the  country  *  booking  for  work'' 
and  enjoying  the  scenery.  This  also  is  a  mis- 
take. 

2.  A  lady  out  on  the  Pacific  Coast  applied 
for  admittance,  was  tried  and  tested  in  the 
usual  method,  and  finally  admitted  to  the 
First  General  Examination. 

It  soon  developed  that  she  was  in  search 
of  her  ^^ Affinity^',  and  had  come  to  the  School 
under  the  impression  that  it  would  help  her 
find  and  capture  him. 

Once  in  touch  with  the  Students  and 
Friends  of  the  School,  she  confided  to  them, 
without  the  least  hesitation  or  delicacy,  the 
fact  that  her  only  interest  in  the  School  and 
Work  was  centered  in  the  hope  that  they 
would  turn  out  en  masse,  take  the  trail,  hunt 
down  her  Maverick  Affinity,  rope,  brand 
and  deliver  him  to  her  free  from  bruises, 
scratches  or  abrasions,  and  with  an  authentic 
Affinitative  Pedigree  proving  her  ^^  right  of 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.         149 

possession.*'  Perhaps  this  is  somewhat  ex- 
aggerated, insofar  as  it  represents  her  inter- 
nal state  of  being;  but  it  is  not  so  far  wrong 
when  judged  by  the  impression  she  made  on 
some  of  the  Students,  and  on  some  of  those 
not  yet  in  the  Work. 

A  slightly  different  case,  somewhat  along 
the  same  lines,  was  reported  to  me  from  the 
east. 

The  things  that  these  good  women  have 
''taken  for  granted'^  are  several,  and  of  the 
most  unfortunate  nature. 

(a).  They  seem  to  have  taken  for  granted 
that  it  is  a  part  of  the  business  of  the  Great 
School  to  act  as  a  sort  of  Matrimonial 
Agency, 

(b).  They  seem  to  assume  that  the  School 
is  interested  in  their  individual  search  for 
their  "Affinities^'. 

(c).  They  seem  to  regard  it  as  their  legiti- 
mate right  to  call  upon  the  School,  and  the 
Students  generally,  for  help  in  such  matters. 

In  this  connection,  and  as  a  result  of  many 
seeming  misapprehensions  among  Students 
as  well  as  non-students,  I  want  to  speak  with 
the  utmost  frankness  and  with  a  deep  sense 
of  my  responsibility  to  the  School,  the  Work 
and  the  Great  Friends,  as  well  as  to  the  Stu- 
dents and  Friends  of  the  Work  everywhere, 


150         THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

concerning  this  subject.  And  I  do  so  in  the 
hope  that  I  shall  thereby  save  ns  all  mnch  nn- 
happiness  and  shame  and  humiliation  in  fu- 
ture. 

Those  who  have  followed  the  subject  intel- 
ligently and  free  from  the  bias  of  personal 
interest,  know  that,  throughout  the  length 
and  breadth  of  the  land,  vicious,  designing, 
unscrupulous  and  immoral  men  and  women 
have  taken  advantage  of  what  little  they  have 
come  to  know,  or  have  heard,  about  the  scien- 
tific principle  of  ^' Affinity' \  to  hoodwink  the 
public  as  to  the  motives  which  impel  them  to 
the  commission  of  all  manner  of  crimes 
against  the  ** peace  and  dignity"  of  the  do- 
mestic relation,  and  to  justify  themselves  in 
the  gratification  of  their  evil  propensities. 

To  such  an  extent  have  these  vicious  decep- 
tions been  carried  on,  during  the  last  few 
years,  that  the  public  press,  the  leading  peri- 
odicals, and  even  the  modern  novel  have 
waged  a  war  of  ridicule  (in  large  measure 
justly,  too,)  against  the  growing  evil. 

As  a  result,  the  very  name  of  the  most 
beautiful  and  wonderful  provision  of  Nature 
for  the  attainment  of  Individual  Happiness 
under  the  Law  of  Compensation — the  Princi- 
ple of  Affinity  in  the  realm  of  human  rela- 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  151 

tions — ^has  become  a  by-word  whose  signifi- 
cance is  a  reproach  to  modern  civilization. 

To-day,  wherever  the  term  ^^ Affinity^ ^  is 
employed  in  relation  to  human  associations 
and  affairs,  it  leaves  a  most  unpleasant  im- 
pression and  suggestion  with  the  average 
reader  and  student. 

However  unjust  this  is  to  the  word  itself, 
however  cruel  it  is  to  those  who  understand 
the  real  meaning  of  the  love  relation  and  who 
square  their  lives  by  the  Square  of  Virtue 
for  which  the  term  ^^ Affinity^'  (in  its  scien- 
tific and  right  sense)  stands,  we  dare  not  shut 
our  eyes  to  the  harm  that  already  has  been 
done  and  is  more  than  likely  yet  to  be  done, 
to  this  School  and  Work,  as  well  as  to  this  en- 
tire movement,  by  those  who  are  so  thought- 
less and  so  indiscreet  as  to  create  or  leave 
the  impression  that  the  School  concerns  itself 
with  the  subject  of  Affinity  in  any  sense  what- 
ever, among  its  Students  and  Friends, — or  in 
any  other  sense  save  that  of  a  purely  scien- 
tific principle,  one  phase  of  which  applies  to 
humanity  as  a  whole,  and  to  human  relations. 

If  you  would  guard  the  School  and  Work 
against  the  damning  charge  of  ^^ Free-Love' \ 
if  you  would  protect  it  against  the  possibility 
of  being  classed  unjustly  with  those  cults  and 
movements  which  the  public  press  justly  con- 


152         THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

demn,  if  you  would  keep  its  good  name  and 
reputation  unspotted  before  all  mankind,  if 
you  would  save  yourself  and  those  of  us  who 
are  responsible  for  the  general  conduct  of  the 
Work  from  humiliation  and  great  harm,  then 
make  it  one  of  the  rules  of  your  life  to  dis- 
courage any  and  all  discussion  of  the  subject 
of  ^' Affinity'^  among  Students  and  Friends 
of  the  Work  generally. 

If  you  would  not  bring  the  sacred  name  of 
LOVE  into  disrepute,  then  studiously  avoid 
associating  it  with  the  name  '^ Affinity' \  until 
such  time  as  the  world  may  come  to  under- 
stand the  subject  aright. 

However  deeply  absorbed  you  may  be  in 
your  individual  search  for  Happiness,  do  not 
advertise  yourself  as  an  ^'Affinity  Hunter' \ 
nor  the  School  as  a  ^'Matrimonial  Agency' \ 

The  ladies  above  referred  to  have  also 
taken  for  granted: 

(d).  That  they  are  at  liberty  to  discuss 
their  love  affairs  among  the  Students  and 
Friends  of  the  School  and  Work,  freely  and 
minutely,  without  the  least  danger  that  their 
sacred  confidences  will  be  betrayed.  In  this 
also  they  are  mistaken,  deeply  as  that  fact  is 
to  be  deplored.  Students  of  this  School  are 
human — some  of  them  exceedingly  human — 
and  they  have  been  known  to  betray  such  con- 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  153 

fidences ;  and,  judging  from  past  experiences 
among  them,  it  is  not  impossible  that  some  of 
them  may  prove  morally  too  weak  to  carry 
the  burden  of  such  confidences  safely  and  se- 
curely, in  future  as  in  the  past. 

(e).  They  seem  to  take  for  granted  that 
they  are  able  to  identify  their  ^^ Affinities^' 
with  certainty,  and  that  having  done  so  they 
have  the  moral  right  to  proclaim  them  as 
such,  quite  regardless  of  the  fact  that  they 
are  already  married  to  other  women,  and  the 
fathers  of  families  of  growing  children — and 
that  they  themselves  are  married  to  other 
men,  and  the  mothers  of  their  children. 

Here  again  they  are  grossly  and  deplor- 
ably wrong.  And  their  immoral  viewpoint 
strikes  at  the  very  fundamental  principle  of 
a  wholesome  and  constructive  civilization,  and 
would  shatter  the  very  basis  of  the  moral  or- 
der in  society,  namely,  the  principle  of  Indi- 
vidual and  Personal  Responsibility. 

This  School  stands  for  PERSONAL  EE- 
SPONSIBILITY  as  the  very  foundation  of 
the  social  structure.  It  hold  that  any  man  or 
woman  who  marries  and  becomes  the  parent 
of  children  is  bound  to  such  children  by  a 
personal  responsibility  that  stands  FIRST 
among  all  the  responsibilities  of  this  earthly 
life.     It  is  a  responsibility  that  cannot  be 


154         THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

ignored,  evaded,  avoided,  nor  shifted  to  any- 
one else  whomsoever. 

Even  though  such  a  parent  may  come  to 
realize,  as  many  have  done,  that  he  or  she  is 
grieviously  unhappy  in  the  married  relation ; 
and  even  though  he  or  she  may  have  found 
someone  else  that  seems  to  fulfill  the  ideal  of 
the  perfect  ^^ Affinity ^^ — ^nevertheless,  these 
facts  do  not  cancel  nor  even  minimize  the  per- 
sonal responsibility  of  that  parent  to  his  or 
her  children,  nor  justify  any  course  of  per- 
sonal conduct  that  would  seem  to  ignore  the 
fact  that  the  marriage  relation  is  the  very 
key-stone  in  the  arch  of  the  social  structure. 

Assuming  that  it  were  possible  for  any 
Student  of  this  School  to  find  and  identify  his 
^* Affinity" — which,  however,  is  a  violent  and 
unwarranted  assumption — the  supreme  hap- 
pines s  that  would  fill  his  Soul  and  illumine 
his  whole  life  would  shrink  and  shrivel  into 
nothingness  if  he  allowed  it  to  sway  him  from 
the  pathway  of  his  Personal  Eesponsibility, 
or  interfere  in  the  least  degree  with  his  duties 
and  responsibilites  to  his  wife  and  children. 
The  same  is  equally  true  of  any  woman  who 
is  a  wife  and  mother. 

No  greater  danger  confronts  this  School 
and  Work  at  this  time  than  that  which  arises 
from  the  indiscretions  and  disloyalty  of  those 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.         155 

who  would  allow  their  search  for  personal 
happiness — for  an  ^'Affinity'* — to  blind  them 
to  their  already  assumed  RESPONSIBILI- 
TIES to  Family  and  Home,  to  Society  and 
Civilization,  to  the  community  in  which  they 
live,  and  to  the  moral  status  which  they  help 
to  determine,  wherever  they  may  be. 

I  am  aware  of  the  fact  that  some  of  those 
who  already  have  brought  disgrace  upon 
themselves,  and  embarrassments  to  the 
School  and  Work,  through  their  indiscretions 
of  speech  and  action,  have  endeavored  to  jus- 
tify themselves  by  declaring  that  they  were 
acting  in  accord  with  the  Spirit  of  the  Work, 

For  the  benefit  of  all  such,  and  all  who 
may,  perchance,  be  in  the  slightest  degree  in- 
fluenced by  such  false  assertions,  let  me  urge 
every  Student,  every  applicant  for  instruc- 
tion, every  Friend  of  the  Work  and  every 
reader  of  Life  and  Action,  to  make  a  careful 
and  critical  search  through  the  text-books  of 
the  School,  from  beginning  to  end,  for  any- 
thing that  could  possibly  justify — either  di- 
rectly or  indirectly,  immediately  or  remotely 
— any  such  assertions. 

But  let  me  tell  you  in  advance  that  you  will 
not  find  even  so  much  as  a  single  statement, 
when  taken  in  its  proper  context,  upon  which 
to  justify  any  such  assertions.    On  the  other 


156         THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

hand,  you  will  find  that  nowhere  in  literature, 
either  ancient  or  modern,  is  there  to  be  found 
a  more  uncompromising  declaration  of  the 
Law  of  Personal  Eesponsibility  in  its  rela- 
tion to  the  marriage  relation  and  the  rearing 
of  children,  than  you  will  find  in  the  chapters 
on  the  subjects  of  '' Marriage' '  and  '^ Di- 
vorce'\  Vol.  I,  of  the  Harmonic  Series,  *^ Har- 
monics of  Evolution,^ ^  by  Florence  Huntley. 

Nowhere  will  you  find  a  more  exalted 
standard  of  Morality  than  that  held  con- 
stantly before  the  intelligence  and  under- 
standing of  the  Students  of  this  School,  and 
set  forth  with  all  the  power  of  Fact  and 
Logic  in  the  Masterpiece  of  that  Master  Mind 
— Florence  Huntley,  in  ^^ Harmonics  of  Evo- 
lution.^^ 

Listen  to  this,  from  the  chapter  on  ''Di- 
vorce'': 

*^  Unnatural  human  marriage  engenders 
strife,  resentment  and  mutual  dislike.  In 
this  particular  human  marriage  is  unique  in 
the  kingdoms  of  Nature.  Two  animals  mate 
and  divorce  themselves  without  engendering 
mutual  dislike  and  hate.  This  is  because 
they  instantly  respond  to  the  natural  law  of 
attraction  which  draws  them  elsewhere.  They 
instantly  obey  the  dictates  of  those  lower  ele- 
ments which  go  to  make  up  animal  nature. 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  157 

**In  human  marriage,  however,  the  respon- 
sibilities and  obligations  growing  out  of  a 
higher  element  in  Nature  have  created  legal 
and  moral  barriers  to  unrestrained  divorce. 
In  human  society  the  indivdiual  is  not  per- 
mitted to  follow  the  dictates  of  new  attrac- 
tions. He  is  bound  to  an  unharmonious  mate 
until  natural  inharmony  is  deepened  into  a 
definite  and  aggressive  dislike.     .     .     . 

**The  law  of  marriage  is  based  upon  the  ef- 
fort to  regulate  the  sex  relation  for  the  best 
interests  of  society.  The  law  of  divorce  is 
based  upon  exactly  the  same  intent.  It  is, 
therefore,  a  law  looking  not  to  the  happiness 
of  the  individual,  hut  to  the  best  material  and 
moral  interests  of  society.  Divorce^  there- 
fore, must  he  viewed  from  the  point  of  indi- 
vidual responsihility  to  society,  and  not  from 
the  point  of  an  individual  personal  happi- 
ness. 

**  Civil  law  implies  that  the  good  of  society 
demands,  primarily,  the  proper  care  and  rear- 
ing of  its  children.  It  therefore  assumes  that 
the  natural  parents  are  the  proper  legal  cus- 
todians and  protectors  of  their  own  children. 

**Just  here,  in  this  relation  of  parents  to 
children,  arises  that  moral  responsibility 
which  must  take  precedence  of  all  questions 


158         THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

as  to  the  happiness  or  nnhappiness  of  par- 
ents. ' ' 

And  so,  I  might  go  on  through  the  entire 
series,  and  wherever  the  subject  comes  under 
consideration  it  will  be  found  that  the  pur- 
pose is  to  make  clear  the  fact  that  the  Great 
School  of  Natural  Science  and  the  Hartnonic 
Philosophy  stands  ever  and  always  for  the 
recognition  of  Moral  Accountability  to  So- 
ciety and  for  the  discharge  of  Personal  Ee- 
sponsibility  in  all  that  pertains  to  the  mar- 
riage relation. 

Not  a  single  utterance  can  be  found  to  jus- 
tify or  encourage  disregard  of  the  responsi- 
bilities mutually  assumed  under  and  by  vir- 
tue of  the  marriage  relation  and  contract. 

Not  an  utterance  can  be  found  to  justify 
the  charge  of  our  enemies  that  the  Great 
School  advocates  the  doctrine  of  ''Free- 
Lover 

But,  on  the  contrary,  everywhere  the  sub- 
ject is  considered  the  doctrine  of  ''Free- 
Love"  is  definitely  and  unqualifiedly  con- 
demned. 

(e).  There  seems  to  be  a  tendency  on  the 
part  of  both  men  and  women  Students  to  as- 
sume that  because  they  are  Students,  and  be- 
cause they  have  come  to  know  each  other  as 
such,  they  can  ignore  many  of  the  established 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.         159 

conventions  of  recognized  '^ good  society", 
and  treat  each  other  with  the  utmost  freedom 
in  the  expression  of  an  affectionate  friend- 
ship that,  in  itself,  is  entirely  worthy,  clean 
and  wholesome. 

Here  again  they  are  mistaken.  Let  me 
emphasize  here,  once  more,  the  fact  that  you 
dare  not  take  for  granted  a  single  thing  in 
your  'mutual  relations  as  Students  and 
Friends  of  this  School  and  Work,  merely  be- 
cause you  are  Students. 

Whatever  would  he  held  as  a  ^^ flirtation" 
among  men  and  women  outside  this  School 
and  Work  will  be  so  classed  among  the  Stu- 
dents and  Friends  of  the  Work — by  all  who 
are  inclined  to  be  '' critical"  in  their  judg- 
ments of  their  friends. 

And  Students  of  this  School  will  be  much 
more  bitterly  condemned  by  those  outside 
than  they  would  be  if  they  were  not  in  the 
School  at  all.  This  is  because  the  Great 
School  is  known  to  stand  for  the  highest  ex- 
pression of  Morality.  Because  of  this  fact 
its  known  Students  are  held  to  the  same  high 
standard  of  Moral  Accountability  by  those 
outside — and  justly  so. 

We  dare  not  take  for  granted  that  even  our 
fellow  Students  will  understand  and  appre- 
ciate our  exalted  Moral  Standard  as  to  what 


160         THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

the  Great  School  means  by  '^Natural  Mar- 
riage", or  the  ''Law  of  Affinity '\  in  its  re- 
lation to  human  beings.  I  mean  that  we  must 
not  take  for  granted  that  all  of  them  can  or 
will  understand  it  all  as  a  scientific  problem. 

Furthermore,  the  statutes  of  the  several 
states  are  intended  to  represent  the  consen- 
sus of  judgment  of  the  people  who  make  up 
the  social  fabric  of  the  state,  in  every  in- 
stance. We,  as  members  of  the  several  com- 
munities thus  represented,  have  had  our  op- 
portunity to  register  our  voice,  with  the  un- 
derstanding that  we  are  **  Law- Abiding  Citi- 
zens'' and  will  abide  by  the  results,  what- 
ever they  may  be. 

As  a  matter  of  personal  honor,  therefore, 
and  of  public  Morals,  we  are  bound  to  obey 
the  laws  of  the  land,  so  long  as  we  permit 
them  to  remain  upon  the  statute  books  of  the 
state.  If  the  majority  of  the  people  enact 
laws  which  we  believe  to  be  unjust,  or  im- 
moral, then  it  is  our  business  to  set  about  the 
business  of  educating  the  people  to  a  better 
understanding  of  the  subject,  and  to  what  we 
believe  to  be  a  higher  standard  of  Morals. 

But  we  must  not  inaugurate  our  educa- 
tional effort  with  anarchy.  We  must  prove 
at  every  step  of  the  way  that  we  are  **  Law- 
Abiding''.    We  must  exemplify  ''Obedience 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  161 

to  the  Will  of  the  People^ ^ — the  Laws  of  the 
Land — until  we  can  change  those  laws  we  be- 
lieve unworthy. 

But  I  hear  someone  say :  *  *  The  Laws  of  the 
Land  do  not  always  represent  the  Will  of 
the  People."  The  answer  is — They  should; 
and  even  if  they  do  not,  it  is  not  the  fault  of 
the  LAWS,  but  of  the  PEOPLE— of  whom 
you  are  one — and  the  remedy  lies  not  in 
ignoring  nor  in  violating  the  Laws,  but  in 
proving  their  injustice  or  immorality  by  obey- 
ing them. 

One  of  the  wisest  remarks  ever  attributed 
to  General  Grant  is,  that :  *  *  The  quickest  way 
to  remedy  unjust  law  is  to  enforce  it. ' ' 

And  this  is  literally  true ;  for  nothing  will 
so  quickly  and  so  conclusively  prove  its  in- 
justice as  to  see  it  in  active  operation  and 
watch  the  results. 

3.  One  of  the  men  Students,  whose  busi- 
ness at  the  time  I  did  not  fully  understand, 
asked  me  for  the  privilege  of  meeting  such  of 
the  Students  as  might  be  in  the  lines  of  his 
travel. 

I  accepted  his  assurance  that  his  only  mo- 
tive was  to  enjoy  the  privilege  and  pleasure 
of  their  acquaintance,  and  feel  that  he  was 
thus  in  touch  with  *  *  real  Friends ' ',  wherever 
he  went. 


162         THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

Imagine  my  surprise  and  regret  when  I 
learned,  later  on,  that  he  was  promoting  a 
purely  speculative  business  proposition,  and 
on  the  strength  of  my  friendly  introduction 
had  influenced  a  number  of  our  fellow  Stu- 
dents to  ^^invesV*  in  his  company. 

As  soon  as  I  could  do  so,  I  notified  each 
and  every  Student  to  whom  I  had  introduced 
him,  that  I  had  done  so  strictly  on  the  basis 
of  the  School  and  Work,  and  NOT  for  pur- 
poses of  *^ business",  in  any  sense  whatso- 
ever. 

Insofar  as  I  have  learned  the  results,  he  se- 
cured several  thousand  dollars  of  money  from 
the  several  Students  he  met  **in  the  lines 
of  his  travel",  and  issued  to  them  '* Certifi- 
cates of  Stock''  in  his  ** Company",  which 
certificates  they  are  still  holding — ^because 
they  are  valueless  and  unsalable — and  on 
which  they  have  received  none  of  the  prom- 
ised ^* Dividends,"  up  to  date. 

In  this  case  the  individual  to  whom  I  refer 
**tooh  for  granted"  that  if  he  went  to  the 
Students  '*in  the  lines  of  his  travel"  with  a 
letter  of  introduction  from  me,  that  fact 
would  establish  their  confidence  in  his  stu- 
dentship, and  this  in  turn  would  establish 
their  confidence  in  his  business  integrity  and 
honor. 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  163 

In  this  he  was  entirely  correct — to  my  deep 
and  abiding  regret,  humiliation  and  sorrow. 

He  took  for  granted  that  his  studentship 
would  act  as  a  sort  of  talisman  that  would 
open  the  pocket-books  and  bank  accounts  of 
the  various  Students  *4n  the  lines  of  his 
travel'*,  and  enable  him  to  reap  a  rich  har- 
vest.   And  he  was  right  in  this  also. 

And  thus,  wherever  he  went  he  found  it 
not  only  possible,  but  easy,  to  convert  his  in- 
fluence as  a  Student  of  the  Great  School  into 
ready  cash. 

And  now  let  us  consider  briefly  the  posi- 
tions and  acts  of  the  several  Students  this 
man  visited  *4n  the  lines  of  his  travel*'. 

They  took  for  granted: 

(a).  That  the  man  I  introduced  to  them 
was  honest.  In  this  I  verily  believe  they  were 
mistaken,  although  I,  too,  believed  him  honest 
when  I  opened  the  way  for  him  to  meet  other 
Students  **in  the  lines  of  his  travel". 

(b).  That  the  fact  of  studentship  in  this 
School  is  all  the  guaranty  of  personal  integ- 
rity and  honor  that  any  Student  of  the  School 
should  ever  ask  from  any  other  Student. 

In  this  also  they  were  mistaken — much  as 
I  regret  to  say  it.  It  would  seem  that  any 
man  who  has  made  a  careful  study  of  the 
three  text-books  of  the  Harmonic  Series,  suf- 


164         THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

ficient  to  understand  the  meaning  of  the  Con- 
structive and  Destructive  Principles  of  Na- 
ture in  Individual  Life,  and  the  Law  of  Com- 
pensation which  works  itself  out  through 
them;  who,  on  the  strength  of  such  knowl- 
edge and  understanding,  makes  the  definite 
statement  (as  all  must  do  before  they  can 
gain  admittance)  that  he  finds  himself  '^m 
full  and  unqualified  sympathy  and  accord 
with  all  the  teachings  and  findings  of  the 
School  therein  contained'^ — would  find  it  im- 
possible to  lend  himself  to  business  dishon- 
esty, trickery,  deception  and  fraud  of  the 
most  despicable  and  contemptible  nature. 

I  myself  would  not  have  believed  it  possible 
had  I  not  seen  the  actual  demonstration  of  it 
above  referred  to — supplemented  by  other  in- 
stances quite  as  flagrant. 

(c).  That  to  question  the  business  integ- 
rity of  a  man  whom  I  have  given  a  letter  of 
introduction  to  them,  as  a  fellow  Student, 
would  be  equivalent  to  doubting  my  honesty, 
and  would,  therefore,  be  accepted  by  me  as  a 
definite  breach  of  loyalty  to  me,  and  good 
faith  with  a  fellow  Student. 

In  this  they  were  entirely  mistaken. 

Let  me  explain  here  what  I  have  tried  to 
make  clear  from  the  very  inception  of  this 
Movement,  namely : 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.         165 

Never,  in  all  my  life,  have  I  introduced  one 
Student  of  this  School  to  any  other,  for  the 
purpose  of  influencing  either  to  trust  the 
other  in  matters  of  business  or  money. 

Neither  shall  I  ever  do  so  in  future. 

Because  of  the  natural  tendency  of  human 
nature  which  stimulates  Faith  in  those  who 
unreservedly  commit  themselves  to  such  a 
standard  of  ^^ Morality  and  Service''  as  that 
for  which  the  Great  School  and  Work  stand, 
it  would  be  possible  for  one  in  my  position  to 
accomplish  immeasurable  harm — as  well  as 
great  good — through  such  influence  as  he 
might  choose  to  exercise  among  his  fellow 
Students  and  Friends;  and  whether  that  in- 
fluence be  good  or  bad  would  depend  entirely 
upon  the  manner  of  its  exercise,  and  the  pur- 
pose for  which  it  is  set  in  motion. 

Knowing  all  this,  and  having  a  definite  un- 
derstanding of  the  responsibilities  that  rest 
upon  me,  and  a  deep  appreciation  of  the  in- 
exorable operation  of  the  great  Law  of  Com- 
pensation through  and  upon  my  entire  life 
and  all  my  relations,  I  want  the  Students  and 
Friends  of  the  Work  everywhere  to  know, 
henceforth  and  forever,  that  they  must  not 
allow  their  faith  in  me  personally,  nor  their 
confidence  in  the  principles  back  of  the 
School  and  Work,  ever  to  blind  them  to  the 


166         THE  SPIRIT  OP  THE  WORK. 

possibilities  of  dishonesty  among  those  who 
have  come  to  be  known  as  Students  of  the 
School,  or  Friends  of  the  Work. 

If  I  could  know  that  every  Student  who 
commits  himself  to  the  findings  of  Natural 
Science  and  the  principles  of  the  Harmonic 
Philosophy  founded  thereon,  would  be  able 
to  make  his  LIFE  a  true  exemplification  of 
the  Spirit  of  the  Work,  then  I  should  also 
know  that  no  Student  of  the  School  would 
ever  suffer  injustice  or  harm  at  the  hands  of 
any  other  Student;  and,  in  that  event,  I 
should  not  hesitate  to  introduce  the  Students 
and  Friends  of  the  Work  to  each  other  every- 
where. 

But  a  hard  and  bitter  experience  has 
taught  me  that,  however  earnest  and  sincere 
an  applicant  for  instruction  may  be  in  his  or 
her  desire  and  purpose  to  LIVE  THE  LIFE 
and  EXEMPLIFY  THE  SPIEIT  OF  THE 
WORK  in  the  daily  life  and  conduct,  the  prob- 
lems of  life  are  virtually  infinite  in  number 
and  character,  and  it  is  impossible  for  one 
in  my  position  to  guard  against  some  mis- 
takes of  judgment,  in  the  admittance  of  appli- 
cants for  instruction. 

I  do  the  very  best  I  can.  I  make  use  of  all 
the  intelligent  help  the  Students  and  Friends 
can  give  me,  in  judging  of  the  character  and 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.         167 

qualifications  of  those  who  apply  for  admit- 
tance, from  all  over  the  country.  I  study 
each  individual,  through  his  or  her  letters 
and  answers  to  questions,  with  all  the  intelli- 
gence at  my  command.  I  keep  forever  in 
mind  the  fact  that  the  School  has  the  most 
bitter  and  unscrupulous  enemies  on  earth, 
enemies  who  never  sleep  and  who  would  stop 
at  nothing  to  defeat  the  purposes  for  which 
we  are  giving  our  lives  to  this  Great  Cause. 

And  I  know  that  we  make  very  few  mis- 
takes. But  we  do  make  some.  And  it  is  this 
latter  fact  that  impels  me  to  admonish  you 
who  stand  to-day  as  **  Accredited  Students 
and  Representatives ' '  of  the  Great  School,  to 
TAKE  NOTHING  FOR  GRANTED. 


-^. 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  169 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

No,  6, 

This  article  of  the  series  is  written  out  of 
deference  to  the  wishes  and  convictions  of 
some  of  the  Students  and  Friends  of  the 
Work  here  at  the  Center.  The  reasons  for 
their  desire  to  have  such  an  article  go  direct 
from  the  center  of  responsibility  to  readers 
of  Life  and  Action  (most  of  whom  are  Stu- 
dents of  Natural  Science)  in  all  parts  of  the 
country,  will  doubtless  become  apparent  as 
we  proceed. 

The  last  government  census  established, 
among  many  other  interesting  things,  the  fact 
that  Chicago  is  within  a  very  few  miles  of 
the  ^^ Center  of  Population''  of  the  United 
States.  Judging  from  the  direction  in  which 
that  ** Center*'  has  traveled  during  the  last 
thirty  years,  and  the  rate  of  speed  at  which  it 
has  been  moving,  it  is  almost  safe  to  say  that 
to-day  (Apr.  14,  1913),  the  Center  of  our  na- 
tional population — or  the  national  Center  of 
our  population — is  somewhere  within  the  geo- 
graphical limits  of  the  city  of  Chicago. 


170         THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

For  the  sake  of  that  feeling  of  comfort  we 
all  experience  from  the  sense  of  definiteness 
and  certainty,  let  us  put  our  left  fore-finger  to 
the  center  of  our  foreheads  and  our  right  on 
the  top  of  the  Masonic  Temple,  and  mutually 
agree  that  ''This  is  the  8poV\ 

Well,  what  of  it?    S ^pose  it  is,  what  then? 

**0,  nuthin'  much,"  only  this:  The  other 
day,  in  a  great  speech  before  the  English  Par- 
liament, one  of  the  great  statesmen  of  that 
great  nation  referred  to  the  United  States  of 
America  as  the  ''Center  of  Progressive  Intel- 
ligence and  Political  Influence  among  the  Na- 
tions of  the  Earth/' 

Now,  if  his  English  Eminence  is  correct  in 
his  diagnosis  of  the  international  situaton, 
and  Chicago  is  also  the  center  of  the  United 
States,  then  how  far  are  WE  from  the  CEN- 
TER OF  THE  UNIVERSE? 

While  those  who  are  wiser  than  the  Editor 
of  Life  and  Action  are  solving  the  problem, 
let  us  consider  certain  phases  of  the  situation 
somewhat  related  to  the  suggestions  above, 
insofar  as  they  bear  upon  the  subject  which 
the  Students  and  Friends  desire  me  to  con- 
sider in  this  article. 

1. — However  directly  the  Center  of  our 
Population  may  hit  the  top  of  the  Masonic 
Temple,  it  is  true  that,  in  a  very  literal  sense, 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.         171 

Chicago  has  become — and  is  to-day — the 
*^ National  Cross-roads''  of  this  country.  It 
is  geographically  and  popnlanghically  so  sit- 
uated (if  such  ^^ poetic  license''  be  not  pro- 
hibited) that  the  Students  and  Friends  of  this 
Work,  in  their  travels — from  east  to  west, 
north  to  south,  west  to  east,  south  to  north, 
and  all  the  intermediate  points  of  the  com- 
pass— pass  through  Chicago,  both  going  and 
coming. 

2. — In  almost  every  instance,  whatever 
may  be  the  destination  of  the  individual,  he 
must  *^ change  cars"  before  he  can  pass  be- 
yond Chicago. 

3. — If  he  needs  an  excuse  for  stopping  over 
a  day,  or  a  week,  in  Chicago,  this  change-of- 
cars  necessity  gives  it  beautifully,  and  thus 
enables  him  to  ^  ^  make  a  few  calls  ",  ^  *  do  a  lit- 
tle shopping",  or  ^* attend  to  a  little  busi- 
ness" (on  the  South-side  or  West-side  Ball 
Ground)  and  accomplish  many  other  things 
which  otherwise  (without  so  valid  an  excuse) 
might  be — embarrassing. 

4. — The  rules  governing  the  population  at 
large  apply  with  equal  force  to  the  Students 
and  Friends  of  this  School  and  Work.  Chi- 
cago is  a  natural  center  of  gravitation  for 
them  in  quite  as  many  different  aspects  as  it 
is  for  the  rest  of  the  nation. 


172         THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

Because  of  these  natural  conditions,  it 
seems  that  Chicago  is  the  logical  center  of 
this  movement,  and  the  natural  location  for 
the  building  of  its  general  headquarters, 
where  our  members  and  fellow  workers  may 
come  into  personal  touch  with  the  directors 
of  the  Work  with  the  least  possible  trouble 
and  expense,  and  thus  be  able  to  acquire  such 
information  and  instruction,  from  time  to 
time,  as  may  be  necessary  to  enable  them  the 
better  to  serve  the  interests  of  the  Cause. 

With  these  conditions  and  suggestions  in 
mind,  we  have  gone  ahead  with  our  work  of 
establishing  a  ''Central  Group' ^  of  Students 
and  Helpers  and  equipping  them,  as  rapidly 
as  may  be  possible,  to  stand  as  ''Accredited 
Representatives''  of  the  School  and,  as  such, 
to  exemplify  the  true  ^^ Spirit  of  the  Work'' 
in  their  daily  lives  and  conduct. 

Taking  into  account  the  ^^ materials'*  we 
have  had  to  work  with  and  upon,  and  making 
due  allowance  for  the  natural  limitations  of 
human  nature,  and  the  difficulties  under 
which  the  work  of  education  has  been  done,  it 
would  seem  to  those  of  us  who  are  here  in  the 
midst  of  the  situation  and  who  have  been 
through  all  the  discouragements  and  trials 
since  the  work  of  integrating  this  *^  Central 
Group''  began,  that  we  have  no  reason  to  be 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.         173 

discouraged  nor  in  the  least  ashamed  of  the 
results  accomplished,  thus  far. 

If  it  had  been  possible  for  us  to  integrate 
a  '^Central  Group''  composed  only  of  ideal 
men  and  women — those  who  were  all  highly 
educated,  fully  tried,  tested  and  proven  to  be 
men  and  women  of  the  highest  ideals  and 
moral  principles;  courteous,  kind,  gentle^ 
gracious,  sympathetic  and  ever  thoughtful  of 
the  well-being  and  happiness  of  others ;  loyal, 
discreet,  free  from  all  vanity,  and  above  all 
temptations ;  above  the  betrayal  of  any  confi- 
dence, and  ready  to  guard  the  SECEETS  of 
the  Work  with  their  lives — there  is  not  the 
least  doubt  that  we  should  have  made  a  very 
much  stronger  and  better  impression  upon 
the  world  than  we  have  done.  Had  we  been 
(all  of  us)  truly  ideal  and  worthy  Eepresent- 
atives  of  the  School  and  Work,  there  is  not 
the  least  doubt  that  we  would  have  accom- 
plished much  greater  constructive  results  in 
every  way  than  we  have  done  or  possibly 
could  do  under  existing  conditions  and  cir- 
cumstances. 

I  do  not  believe  there  is  one  among  us, 
however,  who  believes  himself  or  herself  to 
be  wholly  and  entirely  ^^ worthy  and  well 
qualified'^  to  stand  before  the  world  as  an 
Accredited  Representative  of  the  School,  and 


174         THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

in  his  or  her  daily  LIFE  AND  CONDUCT  ex- 
emplify the  ^^ Spirit  of  the  Work''  without 
shade  or  shadow  of  failure. 

And  yet,  that  is  exactly  what  we  ought  to 
be,  everyone  of  us ;  and  we  all  know  it.  We 
know  it  because  we  have  been  studying  the 
subject,  as  Students  of  the  School, — some  of 
us  for  fifteen  years,  and  others  from  that  to 
more  than  thirty  years ;  and  all  that  time  we 
have  been  trying  to  live  to  Life  with  such  un- 
erring fidelity  as  to  earn  the  right  to  stand 
where  we  do  to-day. 

But  the  further  we  go  the  more  indelibly 
are  we  impressed  with  these  fundamental  and 
vital  FACTS,  namely: 

1. — The  Principles  of  the  Great  School  rep- 
resent Perfection,  They  stand  for  the  very 
highest  there  is. 

2. — Their  complete  exemplification  in  their 
application  to  human  life,  relationships  and 
conduct,  calls  for  men  and  women  who  have 
attained  to  Perfection,  This  means  ideal 
men  and  women  only.  Anything  less  than  the 
ideal  and  the  perfect  must  necessarily  fail  to 
exemplify  the  real  ^^ Spirit  of  the  Work'\ 

3. — Not  one  of  us  who  make  up  this  Cen- 
tral Group,  and  who  stand  today  as  the  Ac- 
credited Eepresentatives  of  the  School  and 
Work  in  America,  has  attained  to  the  status 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  175 

of  Perfection^  in  any  sense.  Not  one  of  us 
has  climbed  to  the  altitude  of  an  ideal. 

In  making  these  simple  statements  of  fact, 
I  am  not  passing  upon  the  question  as  to 
whether  it  is  possible  for  men  and  women 
ever,  in  this  earthly  life  and  experience,  to 
reach  the  status  of  Perfection  in  their  indi- 
vidual unf  oldment  and  evolutionary  growth. 

I  am  only  trying  to  make  clear  the  fact  that 
the  Principles  of  the  School  stand  for  Per- 
fection y  and  that  we  who  stand  before  the 
world  to-day  as  the  Accredited  Representa- 
tives of  the  School  and  the  exemplars  of  its 
principles,  have  not  yet  attained  to  the  status 
of  Perfection  in  our  individual  evolutionary 
unfoldment,  thus  leaving  a  most  vitally  im- 
portant * '  hiatus ' '  between  the  *  *  what  is ' '  and 
the  **what  ought  to  be''. 

4. — It  follows,  as  naturally  as  the  night  the 
day,  that  we  who  stand  today  as  the  Accred- 
ited Eepresentatives  of  the  Great  School  in 
this  country,  do  not  fully  and  truly  exemplify 
the  Spirit  of  the  Work  in  our  daily  Life  and 
Conduct. 

Moreover,  until  we  have  attained  to  the 
status  of  Perfection  (if  that  be  possible),  we 
will  continue  to  MIS-represent  the  School  and 
the  Work  and  the  Cause  and  this  Movement, 
in  just  so  far  as  we  fail  to  exemplify  the  real 


176         THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

Spirit  of  the  Work, — which  is  Perfection;  and 
which  means  absolute  and  perfect  Harmon^/ 
in  all  onr  relations  with  each  other,  as  well 
as  with  other  Students  and  Friends  of  the 
Work,  and  the  rest  of  humanity  in  general. 

5. — Under  existing  conditions,  the  Students 
and  Friends  of  the  Work  in  all  sections  of 
the  country,  outside  the  city  of  Chicago,  are 
coming  to,  or  passing  through  the  city,  and  in 
so  doing  they  seek  to  meet  and  become  per- 
sonally acquainted  with  those  of  us  at  the 
Center. 

It  is  but  natural  that  they  should  want  to 
meet  and  know  those  who  stand  as  the  Ac- 
credited Representatives  of  the  School.  And 
it  is  only  right  that  we  should  give  them  the 
opportunity  to  do  so,  in  just  so  far  as  we  can 
without  injustice  to  the  Cause,  and  without 
neglecting  the  duties  and  responsibilities  that 
rest  upon  us  as  such  Representatives. 

6. — But  herein  is  one  of  the  inevitable  and 
fatal  misfortunes  we  have  to  face,  and  (up  to 
this  time)  there  seems  to  be  no  way  by  which 
we  are  able  to  avoid  the  misfortune,  or  guard 
the  School  and  the  Work  against  its  destruc- 
tive results. 

Some  alleged  '^Wise  Man"  is  supposed  to 
have  said  something  like  this:  **To  under- 
stand the  cause  of  a  difficulty  is  the  first  and 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  177 

most  important  step  toward  its  removal' \ 
That  sounds  good,  in  any  event,  and  if  it 
should  indeed  be  true,  then  what  I  am  going 
to  say  ought  to  be  of  some  help  to  us  in  deal- 
ing with  the  problem  under  consideration. 

It  is  this:  (a).  The  visiting  Students  and 
Friends  from  out  of  the  city  know  that  the 
School  stands  for  Perfection  in  human  rela- 
tionships, and  in  the  individual  Life  of  its 
Students,  (b).  They  know  that  they  them- 
selves do  not  exemplify  Perfection  in  their 
own  lives,  nor  in  their  relationships  with  other 
Students  and  Friends  of  the  Work,  nor  with 
the  world  outside,  (c).  But  regardless  of 
these  facts,  they  come  to  the  Center  of  the 
Work  with  their  minds  and  Souls  fixed  upon 
finding  Perfection,  and  nothing  less,  here 
among  us. 

They  do  not  stop  to  reason  upon  the  mat- 
ter at  all,  for  if  they  did  they  would,  at  a 
glance,  see  what  we  at  the  Center  see  without 
the  least  effort,  namely,  that  they  are  utterly 
inconsistent  in  expecting  to  find  in  n^  what 
they  know  is  not  in  themselves — nor,  in  fact, 
in  human  nature,  so  far  as  we  know — namely, 
PERFECTION. 

This  inconsistency  would  not  mean  so  much 
if  it  merely  stopped  there.  But  it  does  not. 
When  they  find  that  we  are  all  human  beings, 


178         THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

men  and  women,  who,  like  themselves,  are 
still  far  from  Perfection,  bnt  striving  dili- 
gently to  improve  ourselves  and  more  fully  to 
exemplify  the  exalted  standard  for  which  the 
School  and  the  Work  stand, — they  are  disap- 
pointed. 

This  would  not  be  so  bad  either,  if  it 
stopped  there;  but  it  doesn't.  For,  instead  of 
learning  the  lesson,  and  making  the  applica- 
tion to  themselves,  they  go  away  and  talk, 
talk,  TALK,  and  the  more  they  talk  the  further 
they  get  away  from  the  facts,  and  the  less 
they  exemplify  the  Spirit  of  the  Work,  the 
spirit  of  simple  kindness,  sympathy  and  ap- 
preciation of  all  that  we  have  really  accom- 
plished. 

If  we,  here  at  the  Center,  held  our  visiting 
Students  and  Friends  as  unmercifully  to  ac- 
count for  their  failures,  as  they  do  us,  their 
ears  would  tingle  with  the  spirit  of  cruel  criti- 
cism, long  after  they  have  come  and  gone; 
and  they  would  realize  that  we  were  not  their 
Friends,  in  any  sense  of  the  term — just  as  we 
realize  that  thei/  are  not  ours,  in  the  sense 
which  the  Great  Friends  employ  the  term 
''Friend'\ 

This  does  not  apply  to  all  those  who  visit 
us  from  a  distance,  or  who  come  to  share  with 
us  the  Duties,  Eesponsibilities,  Trials  and  La- 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  179 

bors  of  the  School  and  the  Work  here  at  the 
Center ;  for  there  are  some  among  them  who 
are  able  to  measure  the  situation  in  the  light 
of  Reason  based  upon  Personal  Experience ; 
some  whose  Souls  are  quick  to  see  and  to  un- 
derstand the  limitations  of  human  nature,  and 
ready  to  sympathize  with  every  honest  and 
earnest  effort  to  LIVE  THE  LIFE  and  Ex- 
emplify the  Spirit  of  the  Work,  To  these  our 
hats  are  off,  and  the  tears  of  grateful  appre- 
ciation are  in  our  eyes,  as  we  try  hard  to 
make  them  feel  our  thanks, — for  we  are  all 
human,  with  human  limitations. 

It  has  often  occurred,  during  the  last  few 
years,  that  Students  at  a  distance  from  the 
Center  have  expressed  the  most  earnest  de- 
sire to  come  to  us  here  at  the  Center  and  de- 
vote all  their  lives  and  energies  to  the  active 
Work.  They  have  asked  that  we  make  places 
for  them,  where  they  can  give  their  lives  in 
such  manner  as  to  accomplish  the  best  results 
to  the  Cause. 

In  a  number  of  instances  these  Friends 
were  holding  good  business  positions  and 
were  receiving  excellent  salaries ;  and  yet,  im- 
pelled by  their  earnest  desire  to  serve  the 
Great  Cause,  they  have  offered  to  forfeit  their 
business  advantages,  resign  their  positions, 
and  come  to  the  Center,  regardless  of  busi- 


180         THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

ness  advantages,  and  give  their  lives  to  the 
Work  as  my  Helpers,  for  just  enough  to  cover 
their  actual  necessities. 

In  all  such  instances  my  heart  has  been 
deeply  touched  by  the  spirit  of  consecration 
and  self-denial  indicated,  and  it  has  given  me 
profound  satisfaction  to  express  my  appre- 
ciation, and  convey  the  thanks  of  those  to 
whom  I  annually  render  a  report  of  my  own 
Work  and  efforts. 

In  all  such  instances  I  have  carefully  ex- 
plained that  it  is  not  the  wish  of  the  Great 
Friends  that  any  Student  shall  sacrifice  his 
or  her  material  interests  for  the  sake  of  the 
School  and  the  Work.  It  is  the  purpose  of 
the  School  to  make  the  work  of  Instruction  a 
GIFT  to  all  who  receive  it ;  and  that,  for  this 
reason,  the  largest  salary  I  could  offer  to  any- 
one, from  a  purely  business  standpoint,  would 
be  much  less  than  the  individual  was  already 
receiving. 

I  have  tried  to  make  it  plain  that  there  are 
always  enough  (either  entirely  out  of  em- 
ployment or  receiving  salaries  even  less  than 
I  could  offer),  to  enable  me  to  secure  all  the 
help  absolutely  necessary  without  the  sacri- 
fice of  any  good  business  position,  prospect, 
or  income,  on  the  part  of  any  Student  of  this 
School. 


THE  SPIRIT  OP  THE  WORK.         181 

In  a  number  of  instances  I  have  refused  to 
accept  the  proffered  service  for  the  sole  rea- 
son that  to  have  done  so  would  have  meant  a 
sacrifice  financially  on  the  part  of  the  appli- 
cant. I  have  said,  in  such  cases :  *^  Wait  until 
some  time  in  the  future  when  you  may  be 
out  of  a  position  and  actually  in  need  of  what 
I  have  to  offer  to  those  who  become  my  Help- 
ers. If  that  time  should  ever  come,  then  come 
to  me  and  renew  your  offer,  and  I  will  make  a 
place  for  you.  But  in  the  meantime  I  will 
get  along  with  the  services  of  Students  and 
Friends  of  the  Work  who  are  out  of  employ- 
ment, and  in  actual  need  of  positions ,  or  who 
have  sufficient  means  to  enable  them  to  make 
a  gift  of  their  time,  or  of  some  part  of  iV\ 

Experience  has  taught  me  that  the  Spirit 
of  Self -Sacrifice  is  something  which  cannot 
be  depended  upon  among  men  and  women  of 
this  materialistic  age.  Self -Appreciation  and 
Self-Interest  are  so  strong  in  the  human 
breast  that,  in  course  of  time,  they  are  almost 
certain  to  smother  the  Altruistic  Spirit,  and 
cause  the  individual  to  regret  that  he  had 
committed  himself  to  a  life  of  Service  for  Hu- 
manity, however  great  the  Cause, 

The  man  who  comes  to  the  Work  most 
loudly  proclaiming  his  desire  to  give  his 
LIFE   to   the   Cause,   ^*  without  money  and 


182         THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

without  price' \  is  almost  sure  to  be  the  first 
to  speak  of  the  ^* sacrifices"  he  has  made.  And 
if  he  is  reminded  of  his  original  altruistic 
protestations,  he  is  sure  to  be  offended  and  to 
go  away  telling  of  what  he  had  done  for  the 
Cause,  and  what  he  might  have  done  for  him- 
self had  he  followed  his  own  personal  inter- 
ests. Unfortunately,  all  these  dreams  of 
what  ** might  have  been''  are  the  results  of  a 
lively  imagination,  but  are  none  the  less  real, 
and  are  sure  to  *^grow  with  the  years". 

To  guard  against  future  mistakes  on  the 
part  of  Students  from  outside  our  Central 
Group,  let  me,  here  and  now,  promulgate  as  a 
general  Eule  of  Conduct  for  future  guidance, 
that  however  much  we  may  need  help  and 
Helpers  here  at  the  center,  no  applicant  will 
be  considered  unless  the  salary,  or  compensa- 
tion, or  income,  we  can  offer  him  or  her  is  at 
least  equal  to  that  which  he  or  she  is  already 
receiving. 

Among  the  matters  I  have  been  asked  to 
consider  and  elucidate  is  one  which  has  been 
formulated  somewhat  as  follows : 

**  Visiting  Students  from  other  Groups, 
some  of  whom  have  joined  our  Central  Group, 
have  criticised  our  Central  Group  on  the  al- 
leged ground  that  we  have  not  been  as 
thoughtful,  attentive,  considerate  and  cour- 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.         183 

teous  as  we  should  have  been  toward  them, 
nor  given  them  as  much  of  our  time  as  they 
felt  entitled  to  for  purely  social  purposes.  *' 

In  this  criticism  again  is  shown  the  fact 
that  we  are  being  held  to  a  most  rigid  ac- 
countability, and  in  some  respects  more  so 
than  we  deserve. 

Everyone  of  us,  however,  should  bear  in 
mind  constantly  the  fact  that  we  must  not  al- 
low ourselves  to  fall  into  ways  that  would 
seem  to  lack  the  spirit  of  true  hospitality, 
kindness,  thoughtfulness,  sympathy  and 
Friendship  to  all  who  come  within  our  gates. 
To  whatever  extent  we  fail  in  this  regard — if, 
indeed,  we  do  so  fail — ^grossly  misrepresents 
the  Spirit  of  the  Work ;  and  we  should  all  of 
us  take  the  criticism  home  to  ourselves — 
whether  we  deserve  it  or  not — and  hencefor- 
ward redouble  our  efforts  to  make  such  criti- 
cisms wholly  impossible.  I  believe  every  Stu- 
dent of  this  Central  Group  will  accept  this  ad- 
monition in  the  right  spirit  and  will  redouble 
his  or  her  efforts  to  become  a  consistent  Ex- 
emplar of  all  that  the  School  and  the  Work 
stand  for. 

And  now,  in  all  humility  and  candor,  let  me 
have  a  word  with  those  of  you  who  have  set 
in  motion  this  criticism  against  us  so  fruitful 
of  destructive  and  harmful  results  abroad. 


184         THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

And  let  me  speak  to  you  as  your  Elder 
Brother,  straight  from  the  heart,  in  the  spirit 
of  Friendship  and  Brotherly  Love,  and  with 
but  one  motive,  namely,  to  serve  you  and  the 
Cause  for  which  we  live  and  labor. 

1. — In  every  instance  the  Groups  with 
which  you  have  been  associated — away  from 
Chicago — are  small  Groups,  seldom,  if  ever 
numbering  more  than  15  to  20,  and  generally 
not  more  than  8  to  12. 

This  fact,  of  itself,  has  made  it  inevitable 
that  your  meetings  have  brought  you  into 
much  closer  personal  touch  with  each  other 
than  would  be  possible  had  your  Groups  been 
as  large  as  the  one  here  at  the  Center.  And 
for  the  same  reason  your  meetings  have  be- 
come social  gatherings,  and  have  developed 
the  social  aspect  to  a  much  larger  extent  than 
is  possible  in  a  Group  such  as  ours  here  at 
the  center. 

I  have  learned  from  your  various  Instruc- 
tors that,  in  a  number  of  cases,  the  social  as- 
pect of  your  Group  meetings  has  dominated 
to  such  an  extent  as  to  interfere  greatly  with 
the  study  of  the  work  which  was  the  real  pur- 
pose of  your  meetings. 

These  conditions  have  been,  and  are,  impos- 
sible here  at  the  Center,  for  a  number  of  rea- 
sons :    (a) . — We  have  been  engaged  in  a  most 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  185 

difficult  and  serious  WOEK  which  has  been 
of  the  most  vital  importance  to  the  success  of 
the  entire  movement,  (b). — This  Work  has 
been  laid  out  with  the  utmost  definiteness  and 
care  by  those  charged  with  that  responsibil- 
ity, (c). — It  has  been  so  enormous  and  al- 
most unlimited  in  its  scope  that  it  has  de- 
manded every  moment  of  time  at  our  com- 
mand, and  still  we  have  not  been  able  to  com- 
mand more  than  half  the  time  needed  for  that 
purpose,  (d). — When  we  come  together  in 
our  Group  meetings  we  meet  for  WORK,  and 
we  all  know  that  fact.  Accordingly,  we  spend 
only  enough  time  in  social  intercourse  to 
greet  each  other,  and  then  turn  at  once  to  our 
tasks. 

Those  of  you  who  have  come  to  us 
from  outside  smaller  Groups,  and  who  have 
charged  us  with  lack  of  consideration,  and 
with  social  indifference,  lack  of  courtesy,  etc., 
etc.,  evidently  have  not  known,  or  have  not 
appreciated  the  stress  of  demands  upon  us, 
nor  the  burden  of  responsibilities  that  has 
been  upon  us.  For  if  you  had  known  these 
things  you  would  never  have  dreamed  for  an 
instant  that  our  devotion  to  the  WORK  had 
in  it  any  lack  of  personal  consideration  for 
you  or  for  each  other. 

Neither  would  you  have  been  looking  for 


186         THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

evidences  of  indifference  on  our  part,  quite 
blind  to  the  fact  that  you  also  had  a  share  in 
the  responsibilities  of  the  Work. 

When  you  came  to  us  we  opened  the  door 
and  admitted  you  into  our  Central  Group  in 
good  faith.  Having  done  so  we  have  treated 
you  as  we  have  treated  each  other,  without 
social  conventions  or  formalities.  We  have 
assumed  that  you  were  as  deeply  interested 
in  the  success  of  the  Cause  as  we,  and  that 
you  would  take  up  your  share  of  the  WORK 
with  the  same  enthusiasm  and  in  the  same 
spirit  of  fellowship  and  good  will  which  have 
ever  existed  among  us.  We  never  suspected 
for  an  instant  that  you  regarded  our  Central 
Group  as  a  Social  Cluh,  nor  that  you  looked 
upon  our  Group  meetings  as  social  functions. 

In  other  words,  we  tooh  for  granted  that 
you  would  understand  the  spirit  and  purpose 
of  our  meetings ;  and  in  this  we  were  clearly 
at  fault.  We  should  have  explained  to  you 
something  of  the  conditions  and  the  difficul- 
ties with  which  we  have  to  contend,  so  that 
it  would  have  been  impossible  for  you  to  mis- 
understand the  situation  or  misconstrue  our 
lack  of  social  conventions.  I  hope  we  have 
learned  our  error,  and  that  we  shall  profit 
by  the  lesson  it  should  convey  to  us  never  to 
take  for  granted  anything  whatsoever  with 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.         187 

those  who  come  to  us  and  ask  to  be  admit- 
ted as  members  of  our  Central  Group. 

It  has  come  to  me  that  we  have  been  held 
guilty  of  discourtesy  in  that,  after  making 
you  our  fellow  members  and  associates,  we 
have  not  continued  to  treat  you  as  our 
Guests,  and  at  each  meeting  hunt  you  up  and 
give  you  some  special  greeting,  such  as  shake 
your  hand,  and  spend  some  time  with  you  in 
social  chat. 

Here  again  we  were  at  fault,  in  that  we 
took  for  gramted  you  would  enter  into  the 
new  association  with  us,  free  from  all  thought 
of  or  consideration  for  the  social  cnventions 
so  common  in  generally  recognized  **fashion- 
able  society;''  and  feel,  as  we  do,  that  in  thus 
emancipating  ourselves  from  the  bondage  of 
social  conventions  we  have  taken  a  long  step 
in  the  right  direction,  and  toward  the  inaugu- 
ration of  simple  Honesty,  Consistency,  Sin- 
cerity and  Truth,  among  the  cardinal  virtues 
of  our  Social  Structure. 

But  we  hope  that  you,  too,  have  come  to 
see  that  you  were  likewise  at  fault  in  holding 
us  to  the  conventions  of  a  social  Cast  (as  it 
were)  from  which  the  Great  School  seeks  to 
free  its  students,  its  members  and  its 
Friends,  even  more  completely  than  Abra- 


188         THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

ham  Lincoln  emancipated  onr  beloved  coun- 
try from  the  bondage  of  Slavery. 

We  of  this  Central  Group  are  seeking, 
imder  the  guidance  and  wisdom  of  the  Great 
Friends,  to  lay  the  foundation  of  a  new  (yet 
ancient)  Social  Structure,  in  strict  alignment 
with  the  Spirit  of  the  Great  Work.  The  Key- 
Stone  of  the  Central  Arch  of  this  new-old 
Structure  is  TRUTH ;  and  its  Comer-Stones, 
Cross-Beams  and  Columns  are  Friendship, 
Morality,  Brotherly-Love,  Faith,  Hope  and 
Charity,  Honesty,  Sincerity  and  Consistency; 
and  we  want  you  whom  we  have  admitted  to 
our  Membership  and  likewise  our  Confidence 
and  our  Fellowship,  to  join  with  us  whole- 
heartedly in  working  out  the  *' Designs  upon 
the  Trestlehoard'\ 

To  do  this,  you  must  put  away  from  you 
every  vestige  of  that  ^* Sensitiveness^^  which 
impels  you  to  wait  for  us  to  make  all  the  ad- 
vances. You  must  remember  henceforth  that 
you  are  not  our  Guests,  but  our  Fellow  Stu- 
dents and  Companions  in  the  Work,  our  Com- 
rades and  Fellow  Travelers  on  the  Life-Jour- 
ney along  the  great  South- Way  to  the  Land 
of  Liberty  and  Light. 

And  on  our  part,  we  pledge  you  our  Loyal- 
ty, our  Friendship,  our  Service  and  Help; 
and  if  at  any  time  you  have  cause  to  feel 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  189 

that  we  have  failed  in  any  of  these,  come 
straight  to  US  and  tell  us  frankly  wherein 
you  are  disappointed.  Do  not  go  to  others. 
Do  not  discuss  the  matter  with  anyone  else 
whomsoever.  And  above  all,  do  not  draw  un- 
kind or  uncharitable  conclusions.  Wait — 
until  you  have  given  US  a  frank  statement  of 
your  grievance  if  such  it  be — and  see  how 
we  meet  you.  Give  US  the  opportunity  to 
make  amends — ^if  you  feel  that  we  are  at 
fault.  But  do  not  condemn  us  to  others  in 
advance.  Do  not  condemn  us  to  others  at  all. 
For  that  is  Disloyalty, 

One  of  the  easiest  things  in  the  world  is 
to  find  fault  with  others.  One  of  the  most 
difficult  is  to  admit  our  own  faults. 

It  is  true  that  Students  who  come  to  the 
Center  from  other  points,  have  a  perfect 
right  to  expect  some  things  from  us  who  are 
charged  with  the  responsibilities  of  Accred- 
ited Students  and  Eepresentatives  of  the 
Great  School,  here  at  the  Center.  It  is  of 
the  utmost  importance  to  them  and  to  us,  as 
well  as  to  the  School  and  the  Work,  for  them 
to  know  just  what  they  have  a  right  to  expect 
of  us,  and  for  us  to  know  exactly  what  we 
have  a  right  to  expect  of  them. 

1. — They  have  a  perfect  right  to  expect  of 
us  that  we  will  receive  them  kindly  and  cor- 


190         THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

dially,  and  extend  to  them  such  courteous  con- 
sideration as  our  duties,  obligations  and  gen- 
eral conditions  of  life  will  permit. 

2. — They  have  a  right  to  expect  that  they 
will  find  us  all  busy  with  many  burdens  of 
life,  among  which  are  those  of  providing  for 
the  material  care  of  ourselves  and  those  de- 
pendent upon  us ;  and  after  these  as  many  of 
the  burdens  of  the  School  and  its  Work  as 
we  are  able  to  carry. 

3. — They  have  a  right  to  expect  to  find  us 
working  together  like  a  band  of  Brothers,  in 
absolute  harmony,  in  the  spirit  of  deep  and 
abiding  Friendship,  free  from  all  internal 
strife,  criticism,  bickerings,  fault-finding  and 
unkindness — doing  all  in  our  power  to  sup- 
plement each  other  in  carrying  forward  the 
Work  and  the  Cause,  without  selfish  ambi- 
tions or  desire  for  Leadership,  free  from  all 
desire  for  public  notice,  and  ever  ready  to 
sink  our  own  personalities  in  the  good  of  the 
Cause. 

4. — They  have  a  right  to  expect  us  to  listen 
with  sympathetic  interest  and  generous  con- 
sideration to  any  suggestions  they  may  de- 
sire to  give  us  for  the  good  of  the  Work,  and 
in  the  interests  of  the  Cause.  And  if  they 
have  personal  problems  they  desire  to  sub- 
mit to  us,  or  personal  sorrows  and  trials  they 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  191 

wish  to  confide  to  us,  they  have  a  right  to  ex- 
pect that  we  will  give  them  our  sympathetic 
and  kindly  attention  and  such  help  as  we  can 
in  justice  to  the  duties  and  obligations  al- 
ready resting  upon  us. 

5. — They  have  a  right  to  expect  to  find  that 
we  are  all  of  us  mere  human  being Sj  in  the 
midst  of  a  ^^ seemingly  hostile  environment*', 
with  human  frailties,  weaknesses,  trials  and 
limitations ;  but  that  we  are  doing  the  best  we 
can  to  meet  the  demands  upon  us  in  the  spirit 
of  Cheerfulness  and  good  will  toward  all  men, 
and  to  discharge  the  heavy  burden  of  our  Per- 
sonal Eesponsibilities  in  the  real  Spirit  of  the 
Work. 

There  may  be  other  things  they  have  a 
right  to  expect  of  us,  but  I  think  most  of  them 
will  fall  within  the  limits  of  these  I  have  men- 
tioned. And  now  let  me  see  if  I  can  define 
some  of  the  things  which  they  do  not  have  a 
right  to  expect  of  us  or  demand  of  us. 

1. — They  have  no  right  to  expect  to  find 
that  we  have  evolved  to  a  plane  far  above 
that  of  the  human,  until  we  have  attained  to 
the  society  of  the  gods. 

2. — They  have  no  right  to  expect  that  we 
have  out-grown  human  limitations,  nor  hu- 
man weaknesses,  frailties,  trials  and  tempta- 
tions. 


192         THE  gPIElT  OF  THE  WORK. 

3. — They  have  no  right  to  expect  to  find  us 
Perfect  in  any  respect. 

4. — They  have  no  right  to  measure  us  by 
any  other  standard  than  that  by  which  they 
measure  themselves, 

5. — They  have  no  right  to  expect  that  we 
can  drop  our  Work  entirely  and  devote  our- 
selves to  them  and  their  comfort  and  enter- 
tainment, any  more  than  we  would  have  a 
right  to  expect  the  same  of  them  in  case  our 
positions  were  reversed. 

6. — Those  who  have  come  to  stay  and  make 
their  homes  here  within  the  jurisdiction  of 
the  Central  Group  have  no  right  to  expect 
that  we  will  continue  to  treat  them  as  guests, 
after  we  have  once  given  them  a  cordial  wel- 
come, and  ** taken  them  in".  Thenceforth 
they  must  regard  themselves  as  ^' of  us^\  and 
must  hold  themselves  bound  by  every  duty 
and  responsibility  to  which  they  previously 
held  us  accountable,  and  they  must  remember 
thereafter  that  it  is  unfair,  unjust,  unkind  of 
them  to  stand  back  upon  conventionalities  of 
so-called  ^'Society*'  and  expect  us  to  make 
all  the  advances,  do  all  the  *  traveling"  and 
extend  all  the  courtesies  and  exemplify  all 
the  kindness. 

I  speak  of  this  with  great  definiteness,  be- 
cause herein  is  where  some  of  those  who  have 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.         193 

come  to  us  from  other  centers  have  clearly 
been  at  fault  in  their  attitude,  have  been  un- 
just to  themselves,  to  us,  to  the  School  and  to 
all  that  we  are  endeavoring  to  exemplify.  I 
do  not  speak  of  this  in  the  spirit  of  ^^criti- 
cism/' but  merely  as  one  of  the  unfortunate 
facts  with  which  we  have  had  to  deal — one 
that  has  caused  us  all  much  embarrassment 
and  disappointment.  It  has  been  a  severe 
disappointment  to  those  of  us  of  the  Central 
Group  to  open  our  hearts  to  these  incoming 
Friends,  accept  them  into  our  Group  and 
share  with  them  the  joys  and  the  privileges 
of  the  WOEK  only  to  find  that  they  decline 
to  share  the  EESPONSIBILITIES  with  us 
as  well  as  the  privileges  and  benefits. 

But  I  am  convinced  that  this  has  been  due 
to  misunderstanding  of  their  real  position, 
rather  than  to  any  deliberate  intention  to 
shirk  their  responsibilities.  Once  they  realize 
that  they  are  indeed  accepted  by  us  as  our 
fellow  Students  and  co-workers,  I  am  sure 
they  will  not  shirk  their  duties  and  respon- 
sibilities, nor  disappoint  us  by  standing  back 
upon  their  conventional  ''dignity"  and  ex- 
pecting us  to  do  all  the  ''walking,''  all  the 
"handshaking,"  and,  in  fact,  all  the  exem- 
plifying of  the  Spirit  of  the  Worh, 

7.     Those   Students  and  Friends   of  the 


194         THE  SPIHIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

Work  from  other  centers  who  come  to  Chi- 
cago on  business,  or  for  pleasure,  or  for 
the  purpose  of  taking  treatments  from  our 
learned  Chicago  physicians,  are  another 
class  entirely  from  those  to  whom  I  have 
been  referring. 

But  these  ^transients''  also  (some  of  them 
at  least)  have  undoubtedly  come  laboring 
under  a  good  many  misapprehensions  as  to 
what  they  would  find  on  their  arrival.  Judg- 
ing from  some  of  the  ** criticisms"  that  have 
drifted  back  to  me  from  these  dear  Friends, 
they  have  expected  to  find  a  delegation  of 
Students  and  Representatives  of  the  Great 
School  at  the  depot  waiting  to  receive  them 
and  conduct  them  to  some  central  place  of 
meeting  where  they  would  be  given  the  free- 
dom of  the  School  with  all  **  modern  con- 
veniences," so  long  as  they  might  elect  to 
remain  with  us. 

They  have  seemed  to  expect  to  find  a 
Group  of  Students  who  had  nothing  to  do 
but  entertain  visiting  Friends  of  the  Work, 
with  unlimited  means  to  expend  in  their  be- 
half. On  the  contrary,  they  have  found  us 
all  so  busy  with  the  Burdens  of  material 
cares,  and  the  discharge  of  our  responsibili- 
ties to  the  School  and  the  Work,  that  we  have 
been  utterly  unable  to  do  more  than  assure 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  195 

them  of  our  friendship  and  good  will,  and 
open  the  way  for  them  to  call  and  become 
acquainted  with  such  of  our  Central  Group 
as  were  accessible. 

We  beg  of  them,  in  future,  to  remember 
that  this  entire  Work  is  a  GIFT,  and  that  it 
does  not  furnish  us  at  the  Center  anything 
whatsoever  in  the  nature  of  a  material  in- 
come. On  the  contrary,  it  only  furnishes 
each  and  every  one  of  us  an  opportunity  to 
WORK,  and  to  devote  every  moment  of  time 
at  our  command  to  some  share  in  the  Great 
Work  of  Education  in  which  the  School  is 
engaged. 

From  the  foregoing  it  will  be  seen  at  once 
that  those  who  have  expected  us  to  devote 
ourselves  to  their  entertainment,  or  even  to 
the  observation  of  the  ordinary  **  Social  Con- 
ventions" of  ** calling''  upon  them  at  their 
Sanitarium  retreats  and  other  stopping 
places,  have  been  expecting  more  than  they 
had  any  just  right  to  expect  of  people  who 
are  engaged  in  a  Work  of  such  tremendous 
scope  and  unlimited  labor  and  responsibili- 
ties as  this  which  devolves  upon  us  here  at 
the  Center. 

Something  of  the  seriousness  of  the  situa- 
tion with  us  here  at  the  Center  will  be  ap- 
parent to  our  visiting  Students  and  Friends 


196  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

when  they  learn  that,  at  this  moment,  the 
*^ waiting  list*'  of  applicants  from  a  distance 
who  have  asked  definitely  and  in  writing  for 
the  privilege  of  calling  npon  me  personally, 
numbers  over  500. 

Some  of  these  have  already  been  waiting 
more  than  a  year,  and  a  few  of  them  believe 
they  have  matters  of  grave  interest  and  im- 
portance to  the  Cause  which  they  want  to 
communicate  to  me,  for  the  good  of  the 
Work;  and  they  feel  that  they  are  entitled 
to  the  **half-an-hour''  or  the  *  Hwo-or-three 
hours, ' '  for  which  they  ask. 

God  knoweth  that  it  would  give  me  the 
most  intense  pleasure  and  gratification  to 
meet  each  and  every  one  of  these  beloved 
Friends,  and  give  them  all  the  time  and  con- 
sideration for  which  they  ask — ^if  such  were 
only  possible.    But  it  is  NOT  POSSIBLE. 

Let  us  suppose,  for  illustration,  that  I 
should  open  the  door  wide  and  say  to  these 
dear,  good  Friends — *^Come  in — and  each  of 
you  spend  an  hour  with  me.''  That  would 
mean  500  hours  of  my  time,  just  to  overtake 
the  outstanding  demands.  At  10  hours  per 
day,  this  would  require  just  50  days  of  my 
time,  without  anything  else  whatever  to  do. 

But  it  is  safe  to  assume  that  by  the  time 
I  had  overtaken  these  500  engagements,  there 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  197 

would  be  that  many  more  waiting  for  me  at 
the  end  of  the  50  days.  This  means  that, 
working  10  honrs  per  day,  with  nothing  else 
whatever  to  do,  it  would  be  impossible  for 
me  to  meet  the  demands  upon  me  for  these 
*^ little  visits*' — each  one  of  which  would  take 
but  a  **few  minutes'*  of  my  time. 

And  past  experience  has  demonstrated 
that  the  average  caller  who  comes  to  take 
but  a  ^^few  minutes'*  of  my  time  does  not 
get  away  under  two  hours.  This  has  been 
the  average  experience. 

Moreover,  experience  has  likewise  proven 
that  at  least  19  out  of  every  20  of  these  good 
Friends  have  nothing  whatever  of  importance 
in  mind,  and  that  their  mission  is  simply  and 
solely  to  satisfy  curiosity  concerning  this 
mysterious  individual  who  conceals  himself 
behind  so  meaningless  a  nom  de  plume  as 
that  of  *^TK,"  or  ^^The  TK." 

When  they  have  met  me,  shaken  hands  with 
me,  exchanged  greetings  and  looked  into  my 
eyes  and  proven  to  their  satisfaction  that  I 
am  a  living  reality ^  and  that  the  volumes  of 
the  Harmonic  Series  did  not  just  ^' grow/' 
but  were  actually  written  by  Florence  Hunt- 
ley and  her  Unknown  Instructor — they  can 
then  go  away  and  tell  others  that  they  ^^know 
the  TKr 


198         THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

Past  experience  also  shows  that  there  are 
many  Friends  of  the  Work  scattered  all  over 
the  country  who  find  it  possible  to  say  that 
they  have  not  only  met  the  TK  personally, 
but  that  they  ''know  him  WELL.''  And  all 
this  upon  the  basis  of  a  single  call,  and  a  so- 
cial chat  of  an  hour  or  two. 

In  view  of  the  real  and  vitally  important 
demands  of  the  School  and  the  Work  upon 
my  time,  thought,  consideration  and  personal 
efforts,  and  the  further  fact  that  I  am  the 
sole  Accredited  Eepresentative  of  the  Great 
School  in  this  country,  it  seems  to  me  that 
I  am  conserving  the  best  interests  of  the 
Cause,  and  of  all  parties  concerned,  when  I 
say  with  perfect  frankness  that  the  larger 
interests  of  the  School,  the  Work  and  this 
particular  Movement,  demand  of  me  that  I 
forego  the  pleasure  of  these  personal  visits — 
save  and  except  the  individual  has  some- 
thing of  vital  importance  to  the  Cause  which 
cannot  he  communicated  to  me  safely  hy  let- 
ter, nor  in  any  manner  other  than  through 
the  personal  meeting. 

And  this,  dear  Friends,  is  in  truth  the  po- 
sition I  have  taken  in  the  matter,  and  I  do 
sincerely  hope  and  pray  that  it  will  commend 
me  to  your  confidence  and  win  for  me  your 
deep  and  abiding  sympathy  and  good  will. 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  199 

For,  believe  me  when  I  assure  you  that  it 
calls  for  a  stern  self-denial  on  my  own  part 
to  forego  the  deep  personal  joy  and  gratifi- 
cation I  always  receive  from  coming  into  a 
personal  acquaintance  with  those  who  are 
sympathetically  interested  in  the  Great 
School  and  its  Work  in  America. 

And  in  speaking  for  myself  upon  this  sub- 
ject I  am  virtually  speaking  for  each  and  all 
of  the  members  of  our  Central  Group;  for 
I  know  something  of  the  conditions  of  their 
lives  and  I  know  that  they,  too,  are  driven  to 
the  same  stern  self-denial,  by  the  demands 
of  the  Work  upon  their  time  and  energies. 

If,  after  the  foregoing  explanation,  any 
apologies  are  due  from  the  Central  Group 
to  the  visiting  Students  and  Friends  of  the 
Work  from  distant  points,  who  find  them- 
selves in  Chicago  with  the  desire  to  meet  and 
become  acquainted  with  us,  then  let  me  offer 
an  apology  that  will  cover  the  past,  the  pres- 
ent and  the  future,  and  apply  to  all  who 
come  to  the  Center  from  all  points  of  the 
compass.    It  is  this : 

We  are  Human,  as  yet,  with  many  of  the 
limitations  of  Human  Nature.  For  your 
sakes,  as  well  as  ours,  we  would  love  to  be 
PERFECT,  and  we  are  striving  toward  that 
end  with  all  the  intelligence  and  the  abilities 


200         THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

we  possess.  It  may  be  that  some  day  we 
shall  be  able  to  exemplify  the  Spirit  of  the 
Work  so  much  better  than  we  can  to-day  that 
you  will  think  us  near  enough  Perfection 
to  command  your  confidence  and  your  frater- 
nal Friendship. 

The  Great  Father  knows  that  we  do  not 
want  to  disappoint  you,  and  that  insofar  as 
we  have  done  so  we  disappoint  ourselves 
even  more  deeply  than  you. 

But  if  we  fail  in  future,  we  beg  of  you  to 
come  to  us  in  the  Spirit  of  the  Work,  and  give 
US  the  first  opportunity  to  prove  to  you  that 
whatever  may  be  the  error  on  our  own  part, 
it  is  an  error  of  the  head  and  not  of  the 
heart. 

I  want  to  say,  in  closing  this  article,  that 
the  developments  of  the  last  few  weeks,  in 
the  inmost  Circle  of  our  Central  Group,  have 
given  me  greater  joy  and  deeper  gratification 
and  more  profound  consolation  than  I  have 
experienced  in  years.  Those  of  you,  my 
blessed  and  beloved  Friends  and  Helpers  to 
whom  this  paragraph  is  addressed,  will  know 
to  what  I  have  reference ;  and  I  am  sure  that 
you  will  echo  back  to  me  the  voice  of  your 
own  profound  Sympathy,  Gratitude  and 
Love,  and  that  henceforth  we  shall  walk  to- 
gether in  the  midst  of  the  Eadiance  and  the 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.         201 

Splendor  of  a  far  more  perfect  Companion- 
ship that  shall  abide  henceforth  and  forever. 

I  believe  I  am  strictly  within  the  lines  of 
Truth,  and  I  know  that  I  have  the  approval 
of  the  Great  Friends,  when  I  say  that  never 
before,  in  our  history  as  a  Group,  has  the 
Spirit  of  Brotherly  Love  and  Harmony  ex- 
isted more  fully  and  unreservedly  than  it 
does  today. 

Nor  has  there  ever  been  a  time  when  the 
constructive  influence  of  Truth  and  of  Right- 
eousness has  radiated  from  this  Vital  Cen- 
ter so  powerfully  as  today. 

It  is  equally  true,  however,  that  the  Enemy 
was  never  more  watchful  nor  active  than  it 
is  today;  and  for  this  reason  the  Great 
Friends  send  herewith  to  every  accredited 
Student  and  Friend  of  the  Work  everywhere 
their  affectionate  greeting,  and  their  earnest 
admonition  ever  to  be  on  guard  and  make 
your  lives  a  more  perfect  exemplification  of 
DISCRETION,  SECRECY  and  LOYALTY 
TO  THE  CAUSE. 

So  mote  it  be! 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.         203 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

No,  7 

Let  me  see  if  I  can  make  clear,  in  a  few 
sentences,  the  purpose  of  these  special  ar- 
ticles on  '^The  Spirit  of  the  Work,''  It  is, 
I  admit,  a  seemingly  unnecessary  suggestion, 
inasmuch  as  the  articles  themselves  should  be 
*^the  best  evidence,''  as  we  say  in  law.  But  as 
the  Editor-in-Chief  of  Life  and  Action  I  am 
in  position  to  receive  a  good  many  generous 
and  kindly  suggestions  from  the  readers  of 
the  little  magazine,  all  of  which  are  valuable 
side-lights  upon  the  work  that  is  being  ac- 
complished; and  now  and  then  comes  a  def- 
inite question  that  seems  to  command  right- 
ful consideration.  One  of  these  pertinent 
questions  which  floated  into  my  Sanctum 
Sanctorum  the  other  morning  is  responsible 
for  my  desire  to  make  a  very  brief  statement 
just  here  and  now,  concerning  the  purpose 
of  these  articles. 

The  books  of  the  Harmonic  Series  were 
intended  as  text-books  of  Natural  Science, 


204         THE  SPIRIT  OP  THE  WORK. 

and  they  contain  as  careful  and  definite  a 
statement  of  the  general  principles  of  Na- 
tural Science  and  the  Harmonic  Philosophy 
as  their  authors  were  able  to  formulate  into 
English.  The  general  principles  themselves, 
therefore,  may  be  obtained  from  the  hooks, 
by  those  who  have  the  intelligence,  courage 
and  perseverance  to  make  a  study  of  the 
text. 

But  every  general  principle,  to  be  of  value 
to  the  individual,  must  be  applied  by  him  to 
the  specific  details,  incidents  and  experiences 
of  his  own  life.  And  it  is  in  this  effort  of  the 
Students  and  the  Friends  of  the  Work  to 
make  the  personal  application  of  the  general 
principles  that  a  certain  amount  of  confusion 
seems  to  have  arisen,  at  rare  intervals,  among 
the  '^Workmen  of  the  Temple/' 

My  one  definite  and  specific  purpose,  there- 
fore, is  to  take  the  several  experiences  of 
the  various  Students  and  Friends  who  have 
come  to  me  for  help,  and  show  them  by  a 
series  of  practical  illustrations  when,  where 
and  how  to  make  the  personal  application 
of  the  general  principles  to  themselves  and 
their  own  experiences. 

For  Illustration :  Among  its  Students  and 
Friends,  in  their  relations  as  such,  the  School 
defines  the  general  principle  of  LOYALTY 


j^. 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  205 

as — '^The  active,  continuous  and  unwaver- 
ing purpose,  intent  and  effort  of  the  indi- 
vidual so  to  discharge  his  Personal  Respon- 
sibility as,  (1) — To  exemplify  his  unqualified 
allegiance  to  the  cause  he  has  espoused;  (2) 
— To  demonstrate  his  sympathetic  consider- 
ation for  OMd  confidence  in  his  associates 
therein;  (3) — To  command  his  own  self-re- 
spect/' 

Now  the  terms  of  this  definition  are  def- 
inite, certain  and  clear,  to  every  individual 
who  is  sufficiently  versed  in  the  English  lan- 
guage to  understand  the  meaning  of  the 
words  employed.  I  do  not  believe  there  could 
very  well  be  any  uncertainty  in  the  mind  of 
any  accredited  Student  of  this  School  as  to 
exactly  what  is  intended. 

But  the  experiences  of  individual  life  are 
so  varied,  so  numerous,  so  complicated  and 
so  vitally  important  that  it  is  often  exceed- 
ingly difficult  to  know,  with  absolute  cer- 
tainty, when  the  individual  has  fulfilled  all 
the  conditions  of  LOYALTY  in  practice. 

In  a  given  incident  of  his  life  he  may  be 
able  to  feel  absolutely  certain  that  he  has 
fulfilled  condition  (1),  and  possibly  also  (3), 
and  yet,  deep  down  in  the  secret  chambers  of 
his  inmost  Soul,  he  may  be  uncertain  as  to 
his  complete  fulfillment  of  (2). 


206         THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

My  purpose,  therefore,  is  to  make  these 
articles  elucidate  as  many  applications  of  the 
general  principles  as  may  be  possible,  to  the 
various  experiences  of  the  Students  and 
Friends  from  whom  I  have  received  them. 

I  am  aware  of  the  fact  that  the  problem 
of  LOYALTY  is  one  that  has  caused  much 
anxiety  and  some  uncertainty  among  certain 
of  the  Students  and  Members  of  this  Central 
Group.  From  this  known  fact,  it  would  seem 
fair  to  assume  that  there  may  be  some  out- 
side the  Central  Group  who  would  be  equally 
benefited  by  a  critical  study  of  the  subject 
from  the  viewpoint  of  their  own  personal  ex- 
periences. 

The  same  might  also  be  said  with  reference 
to  almost  every  definitely  formulated  general 
principle  of  the  Harmonic  Philosophy. 

Among  those  which  seem  to  have  been 
most  difficult  to  exemplify  with  certainty 
among  the  Students  and  Friends  of  the  Work 
are 

Secrecy  ajid  Discretion. 

So  vitally  important  to  the  welfare  of  the 
Cause  and  the  well-being  of  the  Students  are 
the  knowledge  and  exemplification  of  these 
principles  in  a  definite  and  specific  sense  with 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.         207 

each  and  every  one  of  us,  that  I  want  to  leave 
nothing  unsaid  in  this  article  that  is  neces- 
sary to  enable  every  Student  and  Friend  of 
the  Work,  and  every  reader  of  Life  and  Ac- 
tion to  know  with  certainty  exactly  what  is 
expected  of  him  and  what  responsibilities 
rest  upon  every  Student  and  Eepresentative 
of  the  School  and  Work. 

As  an  introduction  of  the  specific  subject, 
let  me  remind  my  readers  once  more,  that 
we  (and  this  means  every  Student  and  Friend 
of  the  Work,  as  well  as  every  one  who  is  in 
sympathy  with  the  general  principles  and 
purposes  back  of  this  entire  movement)  are 
in  the  very  midst  of  the  wisest,  cleverest,  best 
organized  and  equipped,  most  powerful  and 
(I  regret  to  say  it)  the  most  unscrupulous 
Enemy  on  earth. 

Not  one  of  us,  who  has  become  in  any  sense 
openly  identified  or  connected  with  the  Great 
School  and  Work  in  America,  but  has  been 
identified  and  is  under  constant  espionage. 
Our  every  movement  is  known,  for  what  pur- 
poses the  readers  of  this  article  will  doubt- 
less understand  without  further  suggestion 
or  explanation  from  me. 

No  doubt  there  are  a  good  many  who  will 
doubt  the  accuracy  of  these  statements.  I 
do  not  blame  them,  for  they  have  not  been  in 


208         THE  SPIRIT  OP  THE  WORK. 

position  to  get  the  facts  first  hand,  as  I  have 
done,  and  am  doing  every  day.  But  the  day 
will  come,  as  surely  as  the  sun  will  rise  to- 
morrow, when  you  who  doubt  to-day  will  un- 
derstand and  regret  your  skepticism,  just  as 
I  have  done. 

The  central  purpose  of  this  espionage  is 
to  obtain  all  the  information  possible  as  to 
the  plans  and  purposes  of  those  who  are 
responsible  for  any  part  in  the  Extension 
Work  of  this  Educational  Movement;  and 
with  this  information  to  take  such  action  as 
will  nullify  the  work  we  are  doing,  and  divert 
our  workers  into  other  channels,  thus  scat- 
tering their  energies  and  efforts  and  render- 
ing them  ineffectual,  as  far  as  possible. 

One  illustration  will  suffice : — Through  the 
almost  criminal  indiscretion  of  one  of  our 
trusted  Students  and  Friends,  a  man  who  was 
in  no  sense  whatever  identified  or  connected 
with  this  School  or  Work,  was  admitted  to 
one  of  the  Group  Meetings  of  Students  in 
one  of  our  strongest  and  best  Groups. 

This  man  was  introduced  to  the  Students 
present,  as  one  who  had  read  the  books  and 
was  deeply  interested  in  the  work.  Although 
he  was  known  to  be  an  entire  outsider,  yet 
he  was  taken  into  confidence  almost  as  fully 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.         209 

as  if  he  had  been  a  full  member  of  the  Group 
and  in  good  standing  as  such. 

What  were  the  results?  Listen:  Before 
our  Students  were  aware  of  what  he  was  do- 
ing, this  alleged  **  Interested  Friend  of  the 
Work/'  had  gone  from  member  to  member 
of  the  Group,  and  started  a  series  of  false- 
hoods into  circulation  which  introduced  dis- 
sension, bitterness,  hostility  and  inharmony 
into  the  Group  and  utterly  destroyed  its  use- 
fulness and  constructive  value.  This  resulted 
in  a  complete  disintegration  of  one  of  our 
strongest  Groups. 

This  same  individual,  through  the  knowl- 
edge gained  with  this  Group,  succeeded  in 
gaining  admittance  to  a  meeting  of  the  mem- 
bers of  another  strong  Group.  The  results 
were  the  same.  Group  number  two  was  en- 
tirely disintegrated  and  destroyed  inside  of 
six  weeks'  time. 

Naturally,  these  disastrous  results  led  to  a 
careful  investigation.  It  was  found  that  this 
alleged  ** Interested  Friend"  was  one  of  our 
most  fanatical  ** Hereditary  Enemies,"  and 
had  undertaken  deliberately  and  intentionally 
to  do  exactly  the  thing  he  did  do,  namely, 
disintegrate  and  destroy  as  many  of  our  ac- 
tive working  Groups  as  possible. 

He  was  making  remarkable  progress  in  his 


210         THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

work  of  destruction,  and  but  for  the  help  of 
some  of  the  real  Friends  of  the  Work  who 
joined  me  in  immasking  him,  he  might  have 
gone  on  indefinitely  with  his  work  of  disin- 
tegration, thus  nullifying  all  our  efforts. 

I  hope  and  pray,  with  all  my  heart  and 
Soul,  that  the  real  Students  and  Friends  of 
the  School  and  Work  will  accept  this  as  a 
special  and  direct  message  to  themy  and  that 
they  will  get  from  the  unfortunate  experi- 
ences just  narrated,  among  others,  the  fol- 
lowing lessons : 

1.  To  make  every  Group  Meeting,  or  other 
Meeting  of  Students,  as  strictly  and  pro- 
foundly SECRET  as  you  would  if  you  were 
Masons  in  closed  Lodge  assembled,  for  the 
consideration  of  matters  involving  the  Life 
or  Death  of  the  Order, 

2.  Never  to  admit  to  any  Meeting  of  Stu- 
dents, under  any  circumstances,  anyone  you 
do  not  already  hnow,  or  can  absolutely  prove, 
to  be  an  Accredited  Student  of  the  School 
in  good  standing. 

3.  Never  to  betray  to  anyone  (outside) 
any  information  whatsoever  that  will  enable 
him  to  learn  who  are  Students,  or  who  are 
Friends  of  the  Work. 

4.  Never  to  discuss  with  anybody  whom- 
soever   (until  you  have  absolutely  proven 


^. 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  211 

him  or  her  to  be  an  Accredited  Student  in 
good  standing)  any  subject  whatever  relating 
to  the  School,  or  the  Work,  or  anyone  iden- 
tified with  either,  except  just  such  matters 
and  such  only  as  are  contained  in  the  text- 
books of  the  Harmonic  Series,  or  the  other 
published  literature  of  the  School  which  is 
accessible  to  the  general  public. 

5.  Never  to  discuss  with  anyone  whomso- 
ever (and  this  includes  your  fellow  Students) 
matters  of  a  personal  nature  concerning  my- 
self, or  my  studentship  in  the  School,  or  my 
Work  as  such,  or  the  unusual  psychic  expe- 
riences of  my  life  in  these  relations,  or  mat- 
ters of  a  personal  nature  concerning  any 
other  Student  or  Friend  of  the  Work. 

PROVIDED,  however,  if  it  should  ever 
occur  that  you  knew  information  concerning 
any  of  these  matters  was  being  used  in  such 
manner  as  to  injure  either  the  individual  or 
the  Work,  it  would  be  within  the  limits  of 
your  right,  and  even  your  duty,  to  come  to 
me  personally  and  consult  with  me,  as  your 
FRIEND  and  as  a  FRIEND  OF  THE 
WORK,  for  the  purpose  of  determining  the 
best  means  and  methods  of  preventing  in- 
jury and  protecting  the  interests  of  the 
School  and  those  connected  therewith. 

But  unless  there  is  something  vitally  im- 


212         THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

portant  to  the  welfare  of  the  Cause  involved, 
any  discnssion  of  the  personal  lives  and  af- 
fairs of  the  individual  Students  and  Friends 
of  the  Work,  only  serves  to  divert  attention 
from  the  Work  itself,  and  from  the  things  of 
real  importance  which  the  School — and  we 
as  its  active  workers — are  trying  to  accom- 
plish. 

It  is  a  constructive  Eule  of  Conduct  which 
we  all  should  observe,  never  to  discuss,  nor 
otherwise  meddle  with,  anything  that  con- 
cerns the  personality,  the  personal  life,  or  the 
personal  affairs  of  anyone  connected  with  the 
School  and  the  Work — except  in  just  so  far 
as  the  matter  may  concern  the  success  and 
well-being  of  the  individual  or  the  School  and 
the  Work  we  are  endeavoring  to  accomplish 
— and  even  then  we  should  go  direct  to  the 
individual  himself  and  say  to  him  or  her  all 
that  we  have  to  say,  and  then  leave  it  for 
the  individual  to  determine  his  or  her  own 
course  of  action  after  we  have  discharged 
our  own  duty  to  him,  or  her,  and  the  Cause. 
It  seems  to  be  a  characteristic  of  human  na- 
ture to  want  to  *^ gossip"  about  matters  and 
things  which  do  not  concern  those  who  do 
the  ** gossiping.''  This  is  most  unfortunate, 
and  most  unlovely.  It  is  so  recognized  and 
admitted  by  virtually  everybody — and  yet, 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  213 

the  practice  is  so  general  and  so  almost  uni- 
versal as  to  invoke  a  plea  of  ** guilty''  from 
perhaps  nine  out  of  every  ten  *^ grown-up'' 
men  and  women,  taken  at  random. 

I  have  had  some  recent  evidences  which 
would  seem  to  indicate  that  the  transform- 
ing powers  and  influence  of  this  wonderful 
educational  training  of  the  Great  School  and 
Work  are  not  yet  sufficient  to  cleanse  ALL 
our  Students  from  the  impurities,  the  stains 
and  the  nastiness  of  ^ ^gossiping." 

I  am  not  quite  sure  about  this,  because 
the  evidence  is  not  absolutely  conclusive ;  but 
it  is  sufficiently  strong,  I  am  sure,  to  warrant 
me  in  mentioning  the  matter  in  this  connec- 
tion, and  in  emphasizing  the  vital  necessity 
of  every  Student  taking  the  matter  home  to 
himself  or  herself  and  making  a  careful  and 
searching  self-investigation,  to  determine 
how  far,  if  at  all,  the  individual  is  yet  want- 
ing the  ** clean  hands  and  pure  heart"  of  a 
true  and  loyal  Student  and  Helper. 

Among  the  Students  who  are  separated 
by  long  distances  and  are  thus  forced  to  de- 
pend upon  the  personal  correspondence  to 
keep  in  touch  with  each  other,  it  seems  na- 
tural, and  in  general  it  would  seem  to  be  ad- 
missible, to  discuss  with  more  or  less  free- 
dom their  own  personal  status  in  the  Work. 


214         THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

But,  when  it  is  remembered  that  every  such 
letter  is  liable  to  be  intercepted  in  transit, 
opened  and  read  by  your  bitterest  and  most 
implacable  enemy  in  search  of  information 
with  which  to  attack  you  from  under  cover — 
the  matter  assumes  a  very  different  aspect. 

And  it  is  in  exactly  this  connection  that 
we  confront  a  real  danger.  And  if  every 
Student  and  Friend  of  this  School  and  Work 
were  in  possession  of  the  evidences  upon 
which  these  cautions  and  admonitions  are 
based,  it  would  not  be  necessary  for  me  to 
go  further  in  my  efforts  to  protect  the  School, 
the  Work,  the  Cause  and  the  individual  Stu- 
dents from  the  dangers  that  surround  us  and 
threaten  us  on  every  hand.  For  they  would 
understand  and  appreciate  the  dangers  them- 
selves, and  over  and  above  these  they  would 
recognize  the  Duties  and  Responsibilities 
that  devolve  upon  each  and  every  Student, 
and  take  such  measures  as  would  effectually 
guard  this  Movement  against  the  disintegrat- 
ing influences  that  are  being  centered  upon 
it  constantly. 

One  of  the  reasons  that  seems  to  have 
stood  in  the  way  of  the  equality  of  women 
in  the  Work  of  the  Great  School  throughout 
the  past  is  their  seeming  inability  (or  unwill- 
ingness) to  keep  its  Secrets,  respect  its  vital 


.j^. 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.         215 

and  sacred  Confidences,  and  exercise  the 
quality  of  Discretion  necessary  for  the  pro- 
tection of  the  Work  and  those  responsible  for 
its  success. 

Please  note  that  I  have  said  *4nability  (or 
unwillingness)/'  I  am  not  willing  to  con- 
cede the  ^'inability''  of  women  in  these  vi- 
tally essential  qualities  and  qualifications.  I 
am  rather  inclined  to  the  conviction  that 
their  failure  heretofore  in  these  vital  and 
essential  qualities  of  character  and  qualifi- 
cations of  an  accredited  Student  and  Repre- 
sentative have  been  due  to  their  unwilling' 
ness,  rather  than  to  their  inherent  inability, 
to  keep  a  Secret  or  respect  a  Confidence. 

Then  again,  Fear  of  secret,  mysterious  or 
unknown  dangers,  is  not  a  prominent  ingre- 
dient in  the  character  of  the  average  Amer- 
ican citizen.  It  is  almost  impossible  to  im- 
press either  men  or  women,  out  here  in  this 
free  and  independent  western  country,  with 
the  idea  that  there  is  any  real  cause  for  the 
care  and  caution  exercised  by  the  Great 
School  concerning  who  are  its  Students  and 
Eepresentatives,  and  what  it  is  endeavoring 
to  accomplish,  as  well  as  what  are  its  plans 
and  methods  of  procedure. 

And  it  requires  just  such  experiences  as 
those  I  have  narrated  to  bring  home  to  us 


216         THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

the  fact  that  we  have  been  and  are  all  too 
careless,  too  unconcerned,  too  thoughtless, 
too  skeptical,  too  indiscreet,  too  open-and- 
above-board,  too  insensible  to  the  demands 
of  Personal  Responsibility,  and  altogether 
too  much  inclined  to  consider  lightly  and  treat 
as  unimportant  many  of  the  things  that  are 
of  the  most  vital  importance  to  the  success 
of  the  Great  Cause  and  the  very  life  of  this 
present  Movement. 

And  in  all  this  it  has  not  been  our  women 
Students  alone  who  have  proven  their  lack 
of  understanding,  their  want  of  discretion, 
their  unwillingness  to  guard  the  Secrets  and 
the  vital  confidences  reposed  in  them  by  the 
Great  Friends,  and  their  lack  of  watchful- 
ness of  the  Enemy  that  is  using  every  en- 
deavor to  counteract  the  influence  of  this 
Movement  and  disintegrate  its  centers  of 
strength  and  activity. 

On  the  contrary,  some  of  the  most  sense- 
less indiscretions  and  betrayals  of  confidence 
have  been  committeed  by  some  of  our  men 
Students  whose  intelligence  and  loyalty  have 
never  before  been  questioned  in  any  respect 
whatsoever,  so  far  as  I  am  able  to  ascertain. 

Furthermore,  among  these  are  some  of 
my  Brother  Masons  who  knew  the  meaning 
of  their  Masonic  Obligations  and  who  have 


M 


THE  SPIRIT  OP  THE  WORK.         217 

proven  themselves  loyal,  discreet,  thought- 
ful and  entirely  trustworthy.  They  have 
proven  their  understanding  and  appreciation 
of  the  meaning  of  Secrecy  and  of  its  essen- 
tial and  vital  nature  in  all  that  pertains  to 
the  Order  and  to  the  Cause  for  which  it 
stands. 

This  fact,  almost  more  than  any  other,  has 
given  me  food  for  much  thought  and  study. 
I  find  myself  unable  up  to  this  time,  to  an- 
alyze, elucidate  and  account  for  this  appa- 
rent discrepancy  in  the  lives  and  characters 
of  these  my  fellow  Students  and  Helpers  in 
a  Cause  of  such  importance  to  the  well-being 
and  happiness  of  the  generations,  present 
and  future,  for  whom  we  labor. 

Can  it  be  possible  that  they  discount  the 
wisdom  of  the  Great  Friends — only  in  this 
one  matter?  Or  can  it  be  that  I  have  failed 
in  my  own  part,  in  that  I  have  not  given 
sufficient  attention  to  these  matters  of  DIS- 
CEETION  and  SECEECY?  Have  I  failed 
to  elucidate  them  sufficiently,  and  point  out 
their  vital  importance  to  this  entire  Move- 
ment? Have  I  failed  to  emphasize  the  impor- 
tance of  their  exemplification  in  the  life  and 
action  of  each  and  every  individual  Student 
and  Friend  of  the  Work? 

Surely,  it  would  seem  that  responsibility 


218  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

for  our  humiliating  failure  must  rest  some- 
where. I  ask  myself  how  it  is  possible  for 
one  of  our  strong,  intelligent,  earnest,  and 
I  believe  loyal  Students  and  Helpers  to  say 
that  ^^  Secrecy  is  no  part  of  the  instruction 
of  the  Great  School"!  And  yet,  it  would 
seem  that  such  statements,  or  their  equiv- 
alent, have  been  made  in  open  Group  Meet- 
ing. 

If  this  good  Brother,  and  others  who  have 
had  the  same  idea,  have  not  received  in- 
struction on  this  vital  subject,  then  indeed 
has  someone  failed  of  his  duty.  I  shall  not 
try  to  locate  the  individual,  for  it  may  be  my- 
self, although  I  am  not  now  aware  that  I 
have  ever  failed  in  this  particular  respect. 
But  in  any  event,  I  do  not  want  it  to  be  pos- 
sible for  any  Student  or  Friend  of  the  Work 
(after  the  publication  of  this  article)  to  say, 
in  good  faith,  that  he  or  she  has  never  been 
instructed  concerning  the  matter  of  SE- 
CRECY and  DISCRETION,  in  their  appli- 
cation to  the  School,  the  Work,  the  Cause, 
and  this  particular  Movement,  as  well  as  to 
each  and  every  Student,  Friend  and  Helper 
identified  therewith.  To  that  end  let  me  form- 
ulate a  few  definite  statements  which  are 
intended  to  apply  to  each  and  every  Student 
and  Friend  of  the  Work,  whoever  and  wher- 
ever he  or  she  may  be : — 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.         219 

1.  SECRECY  alone  will  enable  us  to 
cope  with  the  most  powerful,  the  best  organ- 
ized and  the  most  unscrupulous  enemy  on 
earth.  If  we  fail  at  this  point  this  entire 
Movement  will  go  down  with  us,  and  we  shall 
indeed  find  ourselves  *^  buried  in  the  rubbish 
of  the  Temple.'^ 

2.  In  order  to  be  on  the  safe  side,  it  is 
wise  for  every  Student  to  assume  that  the 
rule  of  Secrecy  applies  to  all  matters,  save 
and  except  such  information  as  may  be 
found  in  the  Text-Books  of  the  School  (The 
Volumes  of  the  Harmonic  Series),  in  the 
bound  and  unbound  issue  of  this  magazine 
{Life  and  Action),  and  in  such  other  author- 
ized publications  of  the  Indo-American  Booh 
Co.  as  may  hereafter  be  given  to  the  world. 

3.  Secrecy  with  reference  to  the  Member- 
ship of  Local  Groups  of  Students  is  of  the 
most  vital  importance.  That  is  to  say,  wher- 
ever a  Local  Group  of  Students  exists  (as, 
for  instance,  in  N.  Y.  City,  Chicago,  Pitts- 
burg, Cincinnati,  Joplin,  Minneapolis,  and 
many  other  smaller  cities  and  towns  through- 
out the  entire  country),  each  and  every  Stu- 
dent of  every  such  Group  is  specifically 
charged  with  the  responsibility  of  guarding 
the  names  of  the  Students  and  Friends  of  the 
Work  from  falling  into  the  hands,  or  com- 


220         THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

ing  to  the  knowledge  of  anybody  and  every- 
body outside  the  Group  itself. 

There  are  some  difficulties  in  this  phase 
of  Secrecy  in  our  Work,  but  they  can  and 
will  be  overcome,  if  each  and  every  Student 
will  do  his  or  her  part.  For  instance — it  is 
necessary  for  every  new  applicant  for  stu- 
dentship to  come  into  personal  acquaintance 
with  at  least  one  **  Accredited  Eepresenta- 
tive ' '  of  the  School ;  and  wherever  there  is  a 
Local  Group  it  is  necessary  for  each  appli- 
cant in  its  jurisdiction  to  receive  the  unani- 
mous vote  of  the  Local  Group  before  I  can 
open  the  door  and  admit  the  applicant  to  stu- 
dentship. 

In  all  such  cases  it  is  my  Ride  to  ask  the 
applicant  to  call  upon  such  an  individual 
(giving  name  and  address  of  just  one  indi- 
vidual). I  make  clear  to  the  applicant  that 
I  am  sending  him  a  ^^ Friend  of  the  Wotk'^ 
(not  necessarily  a  Student  at  all).  And 
through  this  individual  he  or  she  will  very 
likely  meet  other  ''Friends''  (not  '' Stu- 
dents'0  ;  and  in  due  time  his  or  her  qualifi- 
cations will  be  determined,  at  which  time  I 
will  advise  the  applicant  as  to  the  results. 

This  is  as  near  as  any  applicant  ever 
comes   to  knowing   (through  me)    anything 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.         221 

whatsoever  as  to  who  may  be  interested  in 
the  School  or  the  Work. 

Following  this  line  of  suggestion,  it  is  im- 
portant that  each  and  every  one  of  you  shall 
be  known  as  ^^ Friends  of  the  Work^*  to  all 
save  those  who  constitute  your  local  Group 
and  are  known  by  you  to  be  active  Members 
and  Students  in  good  standing. 

4.  Under  no  circumstances  are  you  ever 
to  admit  to  any  meeting  of  Students  anyone 
who  is  not  a  Student.  In  other  words,  you 
must  guard  your  door  against  everybody  ex- 
cept those  you  know  to  be  Students  in  good 
standing.  And  in  this  you  are  to  hold  your- 
selves bound  by  an  Obligation  as  sacred  as 
the  Obligation  of  every  Brother  Mason  with 
reference  to  *' Cowans  and  Eavesdroppers/' 

5.  If  you  are  asked  the  direct  question 
by  anyone  who  is  not  a  Student — **Are  you 
a  Student  of  the  Great  School!'' — let  your 
answer  be:  **I  have  been  reading  and  stu- 
dying the  books  and  other  literature  of  the 
School,  and  feel  that  I  am  a  Friend  of  the 
Work/' 

Ordinarily,  that  will  close  the  inquiry;  but 
if  it  fails,  then  simply  make  it  clear,  in  your 
own  discreet  and  diplomatic  way,  that  you  do 
not  wish  to  discuss  the  subject  further.  Ev- 
eryone who  has  the  intelligence  to  become  a 


222         THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

Student  should  also  have  sufficient  intelli- 
gence to  stop  all  impertinent  inquiries,  and 
protect  the  School  against  the  curious,  or 
the  designing  enemies  of  the  School  and 
Work. 

6.  One  of  the  most  likely  ^^ leakages''  is 
through  carelessness  on  the  part  of  Students 
and  Instructors  concerning  the  papers  and 
documents  of  the  School  in  their  hands,  and 
also  the  correspondence  between  the  Students 
and  their  Instructors,  and  that  also  between 
my  Instructors  and  Helpers  in  the  field  and 
myself. 

In  this  specific  matter  I  want  to  empha- 
size the  absolute  necessity  of  each  Student 
or  Instructor  providing  himself  or  herself 
a  strong  Lock  Box  in  which  to  keep  all  doc- 
uments and  correspondence,  and  be  sure  that 
they  are  kept  locked  therein  so  that  it  will  not 
be  possible  for  anyone  but  yourself  to  see  or 
obtain  access  to  them. 

Securely  pasted  on  the  outside  of  this  Lock 
Box  should  be  a  carefully  worded  NOTICE 
that  in  the  event  of  the  death  of  its  owner, 
the  Box  shall  be  shipped,  UNOPENED,  to 
the  Indo-American  Book  Co.  at  its  heaquar- 
ters  in  Chicago,  111.  (At  present  that  ad- 
dress is  5705  South  Blvd. 

It  often  occurs  that  the  applicant  is  mar- 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  223 

ried,  and  that  his  or  her  companion  (hus- 
band or  wife)  is  not  interested  in  the  School 
at  all.  These  are  the  most  difficult  cases  to 
guard  against  *^ leakages.*'  And  this  is  be- 
cause of  the  confidence  which  husbands  and 
wives  repose  in  each  other  generally. 

But  let  me  emphasize  the  fact  that,  al- 
though I  appreciate  and  commend  the  beauty 
of  such  a  relation  between  husband  and  wife, 
nevertheless,  it  is  the  DUTY  of  every  Stu- 
dent to  see  that  all  temptations  to  betray  the 
School  and  the  Work  are  removed  from  the 
pathway  of  all  with  whom  they  come  into 
personal  contact  or  acquaintance.  Do  not 
take  for  granted  anything  whatsoever,  with 
anyone  whomsoever,  that  could  possibly  re- 
sult in  a  betrayal  of  the  trust  reposed  in  you 
by  the  School  and  those  in  charge  of  its 
Work. 

Bear  in  mind  the  uncertainties  of  life  at 
all  times,  and  do  not  neglect  to  guard  the 
flrust  reposed  in  you  against  every  possible 
contingency  that  might  arise  through  your 
own  sudden  and  unexpected  death.  This  is 
of  the  most  vital  importance  to  the  School, 
the  Work,  yourself  and  all  that  you  stand 
for  as  a  Student  and  Friend  of  the  Work. 
You  have  no  personal  responsibility  para- 
mount to  this.    Guard  it  with  your  Life  and 


224         THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

your  Honor,  for  it  is  of  equal  importance 
therewith. 

Under  the  general  head  of  ^^DISCRE- 
TION'' there  are  likely  to  arise  an  almost 
unlimited  number  of  conditions,  incidents 
and  experiences  which  call  for  the  exercise 
of  the  highest  quality  of  intelligence,  wis- 
dom, tact,  diplomacy,  caution,  thoughtfulness 
and  consideration  on  your  part;  and  you 
should  be  on  guard  constantly  so  that  you 
may  not  be  taken  unaware  or  by  surprise. 

It  would  be  very  difficult,  if  not  indeed  im- 
possible, for  me  to  anticipate  each  and  all  of 
these,  in  an  article  such  as  this,  or  even  in 
a  series  of  such  articles  as  I  am  writing  on 
*^THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.'' 

For  the  sake  of  the  Cause,  as  well  as  for 
your  sake  and  mine,  I  wish  it  were  possible 
for  me  to  cover  every  situation,  contingency 
and  problem  that  can  possibly  arise  wherein 
it  will  be  necessary  for  you  to  exercise  your 
DISCRETION  as  a  Student,  Instructor, 
Friend  or  Helper  in  the  magnificent  Work 
wherein  we  are  mutually  interested  and  iden- 
tified, as  well  as  mutually  bound  by  the  most 
sacred  ties  and  obligations  ever  imposed  upon 
mankind.  That  is  not  possible,  however,  and 
so  I  must  depend  upon  YOU  and  upon  your 
WAKEFUL   CONSCIOUSNESS,   to  make 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.         225 

definite,  specific  and  personal  application  of 
the  general  principles  to  the  individual  ex- 
periences and  problems  as  they  arise  during 
your  Journey  to  the  South. 

You  can  do  it,  and  you  will  do  it,  if  you 
but  get  fixed  in  your  Consciousness  at  the  out- 
set the  meaning  and  purpose  of  the  Work  and 
the  nature  and  magnitude  of  the  Responsibil- 
ities you  have  voluntarily  assumed  in  becom- 
ing a  Student,  and  when  you  get  a  clear  un- 
derstanding and  due  appreciation  of  the 
meaning  of  failure  on  your  own  part. 

With  these  clearly  understood  in  the  very 
beginning  it  would  seem  almost  impossible 
that  any  true  and  loyal  Student  ever  should 
go  astray,  or  should  ever  betray  the  trust 
reposed  in  him  by  the  School  and  the  Great 
Friends  back  of  it. 

But  it  is  just  here  that  VOLUBILITY 
works  such  sad  havoc.  It  is  here  that  so 
many  of  the  most  intelligent  Students  fail. 
They  love  to  talk.  They  love  to  talk  of  the 
things  in  which  they  are  most  deeply  inter- 
ested. This  means  the  School,  the  Work,  the 
Students,  the  Great  Friends.  It  also  means 
those  of  us  who  are  charged  with  the  re- 
sponsibilities of  directing  the  Work;  and  it 
also  means  the  Enemies  against  whom  we 
are  trying  to  guard  it. 


226         THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

In  fact,  the  voluble  Student  is  likely  to 
talk  of  many  things  concerning  which  his  lips 
should  be  forever  sealed.  This  is  not  be- 
cause of  any  deliberate  intention  to  betray 
the  Trust  reposed  in  him,  nor  because  of 
any  real  desire  to  injure  the  Cause  and  em- 
barrass those  of  us  who  must  carry  the  bur- 
den of  his  indiscretions.  It  is  only  because 
he  cannot  or  iinll  not  deny  himself  the  pleas- 
ure of  TALKING  and  of  listening  to  the 
sound  of  his  own  voice. 

Beware  of  VOLUBILITY  in  yourself!  Be- 
ware also  of  all  who  are  afflicted  with  it! 
But  if,  by  chance,  you  must  talk,  by  all  you 
hold  sacred  and  true  see  that  you  avoid  any 
and  all  subjects  that  involve  the  possible  be- 
trayal of  any  confidence  reposed  in  you  by 
the  School,  your  Instructor,  or  other  Student 
or  Friend  of  the  Work. 

Under  no  conditions  or  circumstances  al- 
low yourself  to  be  drawn  into  the  discussion 
of  personalities,  or  the  personal  lives  and 
affairs  of  your  fellow  Students  and  Friends 
of  the  Work.  Eemember  that  this  is  disloyal, 
dishonest,  contemptible,  and  places  you  at 
once  upon  the  level  of  the  petty  and  mali- 
cious '^ Gossip/^  than  whom  there  is  no  more 
despicable  man  or  woman  in  all  the  world. 

In  this  connection  let  me  say  that  it  has 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.         227 

come  to  me  from  a  nmnber  of  seemingly  re- 
liable sources,  that  among  the  Students  and 
Friends  with  whom  I  have  come  into  per- 
sonal touch  and  acquaintance,  there  are  two 
or  three  who  have  been  exceedingly  INDIS- 
CREET concerning  the  manner  in  which  they 
have  discussed  me  personally  and  my  inti- 
mate personal  life  and  affairs. 

While  my  life  is  an  open  book  to  all  those 
who  have  a  right  to  read  its  pages ;  and  to  a 
few  of  my  closest  and  most  intimate  Friends 
in  the  School  and  Work  I  have  opened  its 
pages  and  disclosed  a  number  of  the  most 
remarkable  incidents  and  experiences  of  the 
past;  nevertheless,  I  have  not  intended  that 
these  experiences  should  become  the  subject 
of  general  discussion  among  the  Students 
and  Friends — least  of  all  among  those  who 
are  strangers  to  the  School  and  Work. 

The  betrayal  of  some  of  these  personal 
confidences  has  caused  me  the  deepest  re- 
gret. In  some  instances  I  have  suffered 
deeply,  because  the  result  has  been  in  every 
such  instance  to  divert  attention  from  the 
real  purpose  of  the  School  and  the  Work  to 
myself  personally.  This  is  the  direct  oppo- 
site of  my  desires,  and  has  led  to  many  im- 
pertinent letters  asking  me  all  manner  of 


228  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

questions  which  I  have  not  felt  at  liberty 
to  answer  to  total  strangers. 

Let  me,  as  a  result  of  these  betrayals  of 
confidence,  and  indiscretions,  ask  it  as  a  per- 
sonal favor  to  me,  that  all  those  who  hold 
themselves  to  be  my  real  '^Friends''  refrain, 
in  future,  from  discussing  me  at  all,  or  my 
personal  affairs  and  experiences.  I  ask  this 
not  only  for  my  own  sake  but  for  the  good 
of  the  Cause. 

In  a  previous  number  of  this  magazine, 
somewhat  over  a  year  ago  I  believe,  I  cov- 
ered this  entire  subject  very  fully  and  care- 
fully, in  an  article  on  the  general  subject 
of  '^HEROES,  HERO-WORSHIP,  HERO- 
WORSHIPERS  and  HEROES  WOR- 
SHIPED,''  or  words  to  that  efeect.  I  thought 
then  that  it  would  surely  never  again  be  nec- 
essary for  me  to  refer  to  the  subject.  It 
seems,  however,  that  it  is  impossible  to  im- 
press my  readers  sufficiently  to  fix  in  their 
memories  the  matters  of  most  vital  impor- 
tance to  the  School  and  this  Movement. 

I  devoutly  wish  that  every  reader  of  this 
present  article  would  also  hunt  up  his  or  her 
copy  of  Life  and  Action  containing  the  ar- 
ticle above  referred  to  and  make  a  careful 
study  of  it  again  at  this  time  and  in  this  con- 
nection.   It  applies  to  the  situation  today  as 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  229 

truly  and  forcefully  as  it  did  when  it  was 
written,  and  it  conveys  precisely  the  thoughts 
and  sentiments  I  desire  most  to  emphasize  at 
this  time. 

And  now,  a  word  with  those  of  my  fellow 
Students  and  Helpers  who  are  meeting  the 
members  of  our  Local  Groups,  from  time  to 
time  in  the  course  of  their  travels: 

Upon  YOU,  my  beloved  Friends,  rests  a 
heavy  responsibility  in  connection  with  this 
entire  subject.  Wherever  you  go  you  are 
looked  upon  by  the  Students  you  meet,  as 
those  having  authority  to  speak  for  and  rep- 
resent the  School  and  its  Work  here  at  the 
Center, 

For  this  reason  every  word  you  utter,  con- 
cerning either  the  School,  the  Work,  the  Stu- 
dents, this  Movement,  or  myself,  is  received 
as  a  ^^ Message  from  Headquarters,^'  It  is 
regarded  as  of  special  importance  and  is  re- 
membered, discussed,  repeated,  and  often  un- 
intentionally exaggerated  by  those  who  pass 
it  along. 

From  this  you  can  see  how  vitally  neces- 
sary it  is  for  you  to  be  guarded  as  to  every 
word  you  utter,  to  be  certain  that  you  say 
nothing  that  will  divert  attention  from  the 
central  purposes  of  the  Work. 

Remember  J  that  your  mission  is  to  stim- 


230         THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

ulate  interest  in  the  School,  the  Work,  this 
general  Movement,  and  in  the  LIVING  OF 
fTHE  LIFE  that  will  EXEMPLIFY  THE 
SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

It  is  to  keep  me  personally,  my  personal- 
ity, my  personal  life,  affairs  and  experiences, 
as  far  in  the  background  and  as  completely 
under  cover  as  possible,  so  that  I  may  not 
divert  attention  from  the  School  and  the, 
Work  and  the  things  for  which  they  stand. 

It  is  impossible  for  me,  in  a  letter  such  as 
this,  to  point  out  to  you  in  detail  every  phase 
of  the  subject,  or  suggest  every  situation 
and  experience  you  are  likely  to  meet  in  your 
travels  among  the  Students  and  Friends  of 
the  Work  with  whom  you  will  come  into  per- 
sonal contact  and  acquaintance  in  future.  I 
must,  therefore,  depend  upon  your  intelli- 
gence and  your  general  powers  of  discrim- 
ination and  good  judgment,  to  keep  you 
safely  within  the  lines  of  DISCRETION  and 
remind  you  when  you  are  tempted  to  disre- 
gard the  Trust  reposed  in  you,  or  betray  the 
SECRETS  you  are  obligated  to  keep  from 
the  world. 

And  this  means  that  you  must  THINK! 
THINK!    THINK!  before  you  speak. 

May  the  spirit  of  Friendship  and  Good 
Will  which  impels  me  find  a  responsive  note 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.         231 

3 

in  your  own  Souls  and  inspire  you  to  a  fuller 
understanding  and  appreciation  of  the  re- 
sponsibilities which  rest  upon  you  in  all  you 
DO  and  all  you  SAY  in  future— AMEN! 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  233 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

No,  5. 

An  entirely  new  set  of  personal  experi- 
ences makes  up  the  background  of  this  ar- 
ticle— No.  8  in  its  regular  order — but  they 
are  all  experiences  of  the  Students  and 
Friends  of  the  Work,  and  for  this  reason  I 
assume  that  they  will  command  the  undi- 
vided attention  and  the  most  respectful  con- 
sideration of  every  reader  of  Life  and  Ac- 
tion, but  more  especially  those  among  them 
who  are  likewise  Students  of  the  Great 
School,  or  Friends  of  the  Great  Work  in 
America. 

If  there  should  happen  to  be  those  among 
you  whose  names  I  withhold,  but  who  recog- 
nize yourselves  as  the  specific  individuals 
whose  experiences  are  herein  referred  to, 
please  bear  in  mind  that  you  and  I  are  the 
only  ones  who  know  that  fact.  Nobody  else 
will  ever  know  your  identity,  in  that  rela- 
tion, unless  you  betray  the  fact  yourself;  and 
I  trust  you  will  not  do  that,  unless  you  are 


234         THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

entirely  willing  that  this  much  of  your  indi- 
vidual life  and  personal  experiences  shall  be- 
come public  property. 

Eest  assured  that  nothing  will  ever  be  said 
by  me  that  could  possibly  identify  you  as  the 
individual  or  individuals  herein  referred  to. 
I  want  you  to  know  this  fact  now,  at  the  out- 
set, so  that  you  will  never  be  tempted  to 
charge  me  with  bad  faith,  nor  with  the  be- 
trayal of  any  confidence  that  has  ever  been 
reposed  in  me  by  you  or  by  any  other  Stu- 
dent or  Friend  of  the  Work. 

The  definite  theme  I  wish  to  elucidate  in 
this  letter  is 

The  Phenomenal- vs. -The  Practical. 

in  all  that  pertains  to  the  psychic  experi- 
ences or  observations  of  those  who  have  been 
admitted  to  the  ranks  of  our  fellow  Students, 
or  those  who  have  assumed  the  responsibil- 
ities of  Accredited  Representatives  of  the 
School,  or  who  have  become  my  Helpers  in 
the  Work  of  passing  on  the  knowledge  to 
other  Students  by  means  of  the  Personal  In- 
struction in  which  we  now  have  a  corps  of 
some  300,  or  more,  active  ^^ Instructors/^  con- 
stantly engaged. 
It  may  be  of  interest  and  value  to  some  of 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.         235 

you  (perhaps  all  of  you)  to  know  that  we 
who  are  charged  with  the  responsibilities  of 
passing  the  Work  along  to  those  who  are  able 
to  prove  their  right  and  their  ability  to  re- 
ceive it  and  their  ability  and  willingness  to 
use  it  rightly ;  are  doing  all  in  our  power  to 
increase  the  number  of  our  duly  qualified 
Instructors,  until  we  shall  have  a  sufficient 
number  to  give  the  instruction  to  ALL  who 
apply  for  it  and  can  prove  their  qualifications 
as  Accredited  Students,  and  their  right  to 
receive  it  as  such. 

When  we  have  a  working  corps  of  20,000 
active  Instructors,  each  of  whom  shall  be 
giving  the  Instruction  to  as  many  qualified 
Students  as  he  or  she  can  properly  care  for 
(let  us  say  ten  each),  we  will  be  doing  a  Work 
whose  constructive  influence  will  be  felt  in 
every  village  and  hamlet  within  the  limits  of 
this  glorious  country  of  ours. 

And  let  me  assure  you,  if  there  should  be 
any  skeptics  among  you  concerning  this 
phase  of  the  Great  Work  in  America,  that 
the  present  ratio  of  increase  in  our  numbers 
is  such  that  the  number  above  suggested 
will  appear  insignificant  in  a  very  few  years 
from  now. 

As  the  Work  stands  today,  we  who  are 
actively  engaged  in  the  work  of  Instruction 


236         THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

constitute  a  '^Faculty''  of  one  of  the  most 
extensive  and  powerful  Universities,  Col- 
leges, or  other  Educational  Institutions  in 
America. 

Best  of  all,  the  Instruction  is  a  GIFT  to 
each  and  every  individual  who  receives  it, 
and  everyone  who  receives  it  is  bound  by  the 
great  Law  of  Compensation  to  give  it  again 
to  as  many  others  as  he  or  she  shall  be  able 
to  instruct,  from  among  those  who  shall 
prove  that  they  are  duly  and  truly  prepared, 
worthy  and  well  qualified,  and  who  shall  be 
assigned  to  him  or  her  by  those  whose  re- 
sponsibility it  is  to  distribute  Students  among 
the  available  Instructors  in  active  service. 

It  was  in  recognition  of  this  wonderful  sys- 
tem that  one  of  the  Great  Masters,  in  the 
most  marvelous  and  magnificent  address  I 
have  ever  heard,  closed  with  the  sublime  sen- 
timent which  has  echoed  through  the  cham- 
bers of  my  Soul  ever  since:  *^And  thus,  hy 
an  endless  Chain  of  Gifts,  shall  the  Great 
Work  he  Established/' 

This  inspiring  address  was  delivered  in  the 
Great  Convocation,  four  years  ago  this 
month  (June) ;  and  since  then  I  have  wit- 
nessed the  fulfilment  of  some  of  the  wise  and 
wonderful  prognostications  then  and  therein 
given  to  us  for  our  inspiration  to  greater 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.         237 

achievements  in  the  years  immediately  to  fol- 
low. 

If  I  could  but  transmit  to  you^  my  Students 
and  Friends,  the  same  inspiration  which  has 
impelled  me,  from  that  time  to  this,  you  then 
might  understand  and  appreciate  something 
of  the  enthusiasm  with  which  it  has  been  pos- 
sible for  me  to  labor,  in  my  efforts  to  carry 
forward  the  Work  entrusted  to  my  guidance 
and  direction,  in  an  ^^  Endless  Chain  of 
GIFTS'\ 

Verily,  such  an  inspiration  overrides  every 
obstruction,  every  barrier,  every  embarrass- 
ment and  every  organized  opposition,  and 
stops  at  nothing  short  of  Victory. 

And  that,  my  Friends,  is  the  spirit  which 
presides  over  the  destiny  of  '^The  Great 
Work  in  America' '  today.  That  is  the  in- 
spiration which  should  impel  you  and  me, 
and  all  our  Helpers  to  march  to  victory  under 
the  banner  of  Natural  Science,  in  the  face  of 
the  mighty  hosts  of  Evil,  marshaled  against 
us  by  the  spirit  of  fanaticism  under  the 
malign  influence  of  organized  Ignorance,  Su- 
perstition and  Fear. 

Here  is  the  definite  and  specific  alignment 
of  the  Forces  actively  engaged  in  this  the 
most  stupendous  battle  ever  waged  by  hu- 
man   intelligence:      Intelligence,    Courage, 


238         THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

Love  of  Liberty,  Education,  Co-operation, 
Morality  and  Service,  versus  Cunning, 
Cruelty,  Ignorance,  Superstition,  Fear,  Op- 
pression, Immorality  and  Selfishness. 

There  is  not  the  least  question  as  to  where 
each  and  every  Student  of  this  School  would 
stand  in  this  contest,  if  he  but  knew  definite- 
ly and  certainly  that  such  is  the  real  issue, 
and  that  the  human  family  is  called  upon  to 
align  itself  on  one  side  or  the  other  thereof. 

The  chief  difficulty  lies  in  the  fact  that  the 
majority  of  mankind  to-day  are  una  wakened 
to  the  fact  that  there  is  a  definite  issue  pend- 
ing, and  that  they  are  called  upon  to  take  any 
part  in  its  settlement. 

The  Great  School  is  doing  all  in  its  power 
to  bring  the  FACTS  to  the  knowledge  of  men 
and  women  everywhere. 

One  of  the  most  vitally  important  things 
with  each  and  everyone  of  us  is  that  we  are 
charged  with  the  responsibility  of  knowing 
the  Truth  and  then  in  serving  the  interests  of 
humanity  in  the  light  of  it.  And  so,  if  it 
should  be  that  I  am  giving  you  Falsehood  in- 
stead of  Truth,  it  is  a  part  of  your  responsi- 
bility to  ascertain  that  fact  and  then  to  put 
me  to  shame  in  some  way  that  will  confound 
me  and  stop  my  activities,  or  do  what  you  can 
to  make  me  see  the  fallacy  of  my  position  and 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  239 

align  me  upon  the  constructive  side  of  the 
issue. 

You  will  remember  that  this  entire  move- 
ment is  intended  by  the  Great  School  as  an 
appeal  to  the  *^  Progressive  Intelligence  of 
the  Age,'' 

Again  and  again  it  has  been  explained  that 
the  *^ Great  Work  in  America"  is  Educa- 
tional in  its  method,  and  that  it  is  intended 
as  an  appeal  to  EEASON"  and  Conscience  at 
every  step  of  the  way. 

It  is  just  here  that  I  am  deeply  impressed 
with  the  conviction  that  some  of  our  very 
brightest  and  best  Students  have  lost  sight 
of  the  Method  and  Purpose  of  the  School,  in 
a  measure,  and  have  fallen  into  ways  that 
strongly  appeal  to  Credulity  and  Supersti- 
tion. If  I  am  correct  in  this,  it  is  right  that 
every  one  of  you  should  know  the  truth,  and 
then  align  yourself  with  it  immediately,  and 
begin  at  once  to  counteract  or  undo  the  wrong 
you  have  done,  up  to  this  time.  If  I  am  in 
error,  then  it  is  right  that  I  should  learn 
wherein,  so  that  I  may  co-operate  with  you 
henceforth. 

Evidence. 

A  few  days  ago  the  following  was  narrated 
to  me,  by  the  party  concerned,  as  a  personal 
experience : 


240         THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

**I  was  spending  an  evening  with  one  of 
the  Friends  of  the  Work  whom  I  have  under- 
stood to  be  a  prominent  Student  in  the  Cen- 
tral Group.  Naturally,  during  the  evening 
our  conversation  drifted  to  the  subject  of  the 
School  and  the  Work ;  and  I  felt  at  liberty  to 
ask  for  some  information  concerning  the 
Work  at  the  Center. 

*  *  To  my  very  great  surprise,  with  no  seem- 
ing hesitation  whatever,  this  *  Student- 
Friend'  opened  to  me  what  would  appear  to 
me  to  be  a  very  direct  and  powerful  appeal 
to  either  my  credulity  or  my  superstition.  He 
told  me,  with  seeming  entire  unreserve,  what 
I  should  consider  a  very  remarkable  psychic 
experience,  of  a  phenomenal  nature,  unlike 
anything  I  have  ever  experienced  myself,  and 
without  any  request  from  me. 

**In  the  light  of  my  own  experience,  and 
of  what  I  have  learned  through  my  reading 
and  study,  as  well  as  through  my  contact 
with  many  students  of  the  occult  and  investi- 
gators of  psychic  phenomena,  this  alleged 

*  experience'  seemed  to  me  anything  but  an 

*  appeal  to  EEASON',  to  conscience  or  to 
my  own  intelligence. 

**I  confess  that  I  went  away  puzzled,  and 
with  a  feeling  of  depression.  I  was  at  a  com- 
plete loss  to  understand  just  why  this  *Ad' 


.si&^ 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  241 

vanced  Student*  should  treat  me  (almost  a 
total  stranger)  in  this  manner.  For  a  time 
I  wondered  if  he  had  been  testing  me  out  to 
ascertain  how  big  a  fool  I  was.  But  I  re- 
called the  fact  that  he  asked  me  no  questions 
to  ascertain  whether  or  not  I  believed  his 
story  or  was  even  interested  in  hearing  it.  He 
simply  told  his  alleged  experience  in  a  man- 
ner to  make  me  feel  that  his  purpose  (if  he 
had  one)  was  to  impress  me  with  the  notion 
that  he  was  either  a  ^M aster \  or  that  he  was 
rapidly  approaching  that  splendid  consum- 
mation. 

**If  he  but  knew  it,  the  impression  I  carried 
away  with  me  was  one  which  is,  in  no  sense, 
complimentary  to  either  his  intelligence  or 
his  integrity.  Whatever  may  have  been  his 
real  motive  and  purpose,  I  do  not  know ;  but 
I  do  know  that  here  are  some  of  the  results 
upon  my  own  consciousness : 

**1.  I  no  longer  have  confidence  in  this 
man's  word.  I  believe  he  is  just  a  common, 
every-day  romancer,  who  has  no  scruples 
whatever  as  to  the  welfare  of  the  School,  or 
the  Work,  or  the  Movement,  or  those  of  you 
upon  whom  rests  the  responsibility  of  its  suc- 
cess. It  would  be  hard  for  me  to  believe  him 
under  oath,  in  a  court  of  law,  as  I  feel  at  this 
time. 


242         THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

**2.  I  am  of  the  opinion  that  he  is  a  man 
of  great  Intellectual  Vanity,  and  that  he  w^s 
foolish  enough  to  take  me  for  a  bigger  joke 
than  he.  Because  of  my  silence  during  his 
recital,  I  presume  he  took  for  granted  that  I 
was  *  swallowing  whole'  everything  he  was 
saying.  And,  no  doubt,  when  I  left  him  he 
was  under  the  impression  that  I  regarded  him 
as  a  wonderful  man  and  a  truly  Great  Soul. 
He  impressed  me  as  a  man  impelled  by  the 
desire  to  gratify  his  Vanity.  I  can  think  of 
no  other  adequate  reason.  And  I  am  sure 
that  YOU  expect  me  to  use  my  Reason  at 
every  step  of  the  way,  and  with  reference  to 
every  phase  of  the  great  Problem  of  Life.  Is 
not  this  truef  (Most  assuredly!  And  you 
have  done  right  in  this  instance.  TK),  **  Per- 
haps I  did  wrong  not  to  have  told  him  at  the 
time,  the  impressions  I  received.  It  was  a 
difficult  situation  and  I  do  not  know  just  what 
I  should  have  done,  all  things  duly  considered. 
I  know  since  telling  you  I  feel  a  great  load 
lifted  from  my  conscience. 

*'3.  I  am  convinced  that  the  Student  to 
whom  I  refer  is  a  perpetual  menace  to  the 
School,  the  Work  and  the  Cause;  and,  if  he 
cannot  be  restrained  from  the  course  he  is 
following,  it  seems  to  me  he  should  be  ex- 
pelled from  the  Central  Group,  and  from  the 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.         243 

School  and  the  Work  entirely.  If  he  is  not  a 
Jesuit,  he  is  doing  quite  as  much  damage  to 
the  Work  as  if  he  were — and  I  am  not  sure 
but  he  is  doing  even  greater  harm,  because 
there  may  be  some  who  would  believe  him  and 
trust  him. 

**4.  I  am  convinced  that  this  man  exag- 
gerates,  (a  natural  tendency  on  the  part  of 
several  of  the  Students  and  Helpers,  some  of 
whom  are  at  the  Center  and  others  scattered 
over  the  country).  This  tendency — as  I 
verily  believe — should  be  corrected  at  once, 
or  it  will  result  in  irreparable  injury  to  the 
Cause,  in  the  near  future.  If  I  am  correct  in 
my  feeling  that  there  is  something  of  a  ten- 
dency among  the  more  advanced  Students  and 
Helpers  in  the  direction  suggested,  it  seems 
to  me  that  here  is  surely  one  of  the  most  pow- 
erful disintegrating  influences  in  existence; 
and  I  am  sure  you  will  recognize  me  as  a  real 
Friend  of  the  Work,  in  that  I  have  presumed 
to  call  your  attention  to  a  matter  of  such  vital 
importance  to  the  School,  the  Work  and  the 
Cause. ^'    (Indeed,  I  DO !  TK.) 

Experience  No.  2. 

Another  Student  (and  this  one  lives  very 
near  the  Center)  tells  me  that  he  has  met  a 


244         THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

number  of  times,  during  the  last  few  months, 
a  small  group  of  Friends  of  the  Work  here  in 
Chicago.  The  purposes  of  these  meetings  has 
appeared  to  him  to  be  rather  of  a  social  na- 
ture, and  he  has  appreciated  the  fact  that  he 
has  been  deemed  worthy  to  associate  with 
such  a  group  of  Students  and  Friends  of  the 
Work,  at  or  so  near  the  Center. 

He  tells  me  that  among  this  group  are  some 
of  the  advanced  Students  and  prominent 
Helpers  in  the  Work  of  Education.  I  am  not 
at  liberty  to  mention  names,  nor  does  it  seem 
to  be  necessary,  for  the  purposes  of  this  ar- 
ticle. It  is  sufficient  that  he  is  correct  as  to 
the  status  of  those  whose  names  he  has  men- 
tioned to  me  among  the  group  referred  to. 

I  am  informed  that,  although  the  purpose 
of  these  gatherings  appears  to  be  chiefly  so- 
cial, the  subject  of  psychic  phenomena  seems 
to  obtrude  itself  almost  automatically  upon 
the  attention  and  the  consideration  of  those 
present,  at  almost  every  meeting,  and  that  he 
has  been  surprised  and  almost  shocked  at  the 
freedom  with  which  some  of  these  Students 
and  Friends  had  narrated  what  they  have 
stated  were  their  own  personal  experiences. 

The  freedom  with  which  these  experiences, 
and  the  phenomena  accompanying  them,  are 
said  to  have  been  discussed  would  seem  to  be 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.         245 


entirely  out  of  harmony  with  the  position  of 
the  School  and  the  desires  of  the  Great 
Friends  with  reference  to  such  matters. 

It  is  a  fairly  well  known  fact,  that  some  of 
the  Students  of  the  Central  Group  have  been 
admitted  to  the  ^^ Technical  Work'^  and  that 
they  have  accomplished  considerable  along 
the  line  of  their  independent  psychic  unfold- 
ment.  But  at  the  same  time,  I  cannot  think 
that  any  such  Student  has  any  doubt  as  to  the 
fact  that  each  and  all  of  these  Technical  In- 
structions, together  with  the  psychic  experi- 
ences resulting  from  their  personal  applica- 
tion, are  matters  of  the  utmost  SECRECY. 

In  a  few  instances  I  have  asked  one  or  two 
of  these  Students  to  explain  some  of  the  in- 
structions and  their  experiences — to  certain 
of  the  Students  to  whom  I  desired  to  convey 
the  specific  information  covered  therein — and 
on  a  few  special  occasions  I  have  asked  these 
advanced  Students  to  give  certain  confiden- 
tial information  as  to  their  experiences,  to 
certain  of  my  Students  who  have  been  at  just 
the  point  in  their  own  Work  where  that 
seemed  the  best  way  of  getting  to  them  cer- 
tain information  for  which  they  were  ready 
at  that  time. 

But  I  am  sure  that  there  has  never  been 
any  uncertainty  as  to  the  fact  that  there  have 


246         THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

been  special  reasons,  in  each  and  every  case 
of  this  nature,  why  I  have  asked  such  infor- 
mation from  my  Students.  Never  have  I 
given  reason  for  any  Student  to  assume  that 
it  is  either  admissible  or  wise  to  convey  any 
information  concerning  the  Technical  Work 
to  any  but  the  special  individuals  whom  I 
have  designated  in  each  and  every  instance. 

I  am  not  intending  to  convey  the  impres- 
sion, by  the  foregoing  remarks,  that  any  of 
my  Students  have  betrayed  any  of  the  con- 
fidences reposed  in  them  by  me.  I  am  in- 
clined, however,  to  the  impression  that  some 
of  those,  to  whom  the  door  of  information 
has  been  opened,  have  not  fully  understood 
or  appreciated  the  confidential  nature  of  the 
experiences  to  which  they  have  been  admit- 
ted. 

The  fact,  however,  that  the  open  discus- 
sion of  psychic  phenomena  and  **  personal 
Experiences''  has  been  indulged  among  any 
of  the  Students — to  a  point  which  has  raised 
the  question  of  ^' expediency^ \  or  '^ discre- 
tion'\  in  the  minds  of  Students  not  of  the 
Central  Group — would  seem  to  be  sufficient 
to  justify  some  consideration  of  the  subject, 
at  this  time. 

It  is  this  seeming  absorption  of  some  of 
the  Students  and  Friends  of  the  Work  in  the 


it^Mm, 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.         247 

purely  phenomenal  aspects  of  the  Work  that 
makes  it  now  seem  expedient  to  consider  the 
subject  in  the  light  of 

The  Phenomenal-vs.-The  Practical. 

However  true,  or  scientific,  or  significant 
may  be  the  subject-matter  in  its  relation  to 
human  Life  and  Action,  there  is  something 
in  the  purely  phenomenal  aspect  of  psychic 
experiences  which  appeals  to  the  ^^  mysteri- 
ous^^, the  ^^ marvelous' \  the  ^^ miraculous' ' 
and  the  '^superstitious''  in  human  nature — 
especially  among  the  rank  and  file  of  men 
and  women.  I  might  have  said  *^  which  awak- 
ens the  mysterious ' ',  etc. 

But  this  is  precisely  the  thing  which  the 
Great  School  desires  to  avoid.  It  has  con- 
centered its  efforts,  in  this  present  move- 
ment, upon  an  '^ Appeal  to  the  Progressive 
Intelligence  of  the  Age",  It  seeks,  at  this 
time,  to  formulate  its  Work  into  one  supreme 
appeal  to  the  EEASON,  the  CONSCIENCE 
and  to  all  the  rational  faculties,  capacities 
and  powers  of  the  Soul. 

For  this  reason  it  is  the  intent  and  pur- 
pose of  the  Great  Friends,  at  this  time,  to 
impress  upon  each  and  every  Student  and 
Friend  of  the  Work,  as  vividly  and  indelibly 


248  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

as  possible,  the  necessity  and  vital  impor- 
tance of  keeping  away  from  the  '^  Phenome- 
nal" as  far  as  may  be  possible  in  all  we  do 
and  say,  and  appealing  to  the  EATIONAL 
and  the  PRACTICAL. 

To  this  end,  I  am  going  to  try  and  see  if  I 
can  bring  the  subject  home,  with  clearness 
and  emphasis,  to  those  of  yon,  my  Students, 
who  have  unwittingly  been  making  the  wrong 
impression  on  the  subject  of  phenomena. 
Bear  with  me,  therefore,  and  know  that  what 
I  shall  say  is  entirely  free  from  every  senti- 
ment of  criticism,  and  charged  only  with  the 
impulse  and  the  desire  to  accomplish  the 
highest  measure  of  good  possible.  My  hope 
is  thus  to  serve  the  Cause  in  general,  and  you 
in  particular: 

1.  Do  not  ever  introduce  the  subject  of 
the  ^'Technical  Work",  at  any  Group  Meet- 
ing, nor  at  any  meeting  of  Students,  or 
Friends  of  the  Work, — w-^Ze^s  you  have  been 
specifically  and  definitely  asked  by  me,  or  by 
some  one  of  the  Great  Friends,  to  do  so. 

2.  Do  not  ever  discuss  the  subject  with 
any  individual  who  is  not  an  Accredited  Stu- 
dent, in  good  standing ;  nor  in  any  event  what- 
ever, wnless  you  have  been  specially  author- 
ized by  me,  or  by  my  superiors,  to  do  so. 

3.  In  either  of  the  foregoing  assumed  in- 


M^^ 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.         249 

stances,  your  authority  should  be  clear  and 
definite,  and  you  should  know  in  advance  ex- 
actly what  p\hase  of  the  subject  you  are  to 
discuss  or  elucidate,  and  the  exact  purpose 
to  be  accomplished  thereby;  and  you  should 
then  be  absolutely  certain  that  you  keep 
strictly  within  the  lines  of  your  authority. 

4.  Make  it  a  rule  to  avoid  being  drawn 
into  any  discussion  or  narration  of  any  psy- 
chic experiences  you  may  have  had — unless 
there  is  some  real  and  urgent  necessity  for 
doing  so.  Otherwise  you  are  liable  to  make 
the  impression  of  '^ boasting' \ 

5.  Even  where  the  occasion  may  seem  to 
be  urgent  and  for  the  special  help  of  those 
who  are  in  need  of  it,  let  me  beg  of  you  to 
keep  constantly  in  mind  the  fact  that  if  your 
exposition,  elucidation  or  narration  should 
be  such  as  to  appeal,  in  any  way  whatever, 
to  the  credulity  or  superstition  of  your 
listener,  the  results  will  be  the  opposite  of 
what  the  School  is  endeavoring  to  accomplish. 

6.  Those  of  you,  my  Students,  who  have 
been  regularly  admitted  to  the  Technical 
Work,  are  charged  with  a  doubly  heavy  bur- 
den of  responsibility.  For  this  reason,  it  is 
well  for  you  to  keep  the  fact  of  your  ad- 
vancement in  the  Work  strictly  a  matter  of 
confidence  between  yourselves  and  the  School. 


250         THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

It  would  seem,  from  the  impressions  which 
have  been  made  in  some  instances,  that  any 
discussion  whatever  of  your  personal  develop- 
ment along  the  lines  of  the  Technical  Work, 
is  more  than  likely  to  be  misunderstood  by 
those  who  are  not  so  far  advanced — and 
especially  by  those  who  are  not  of  the  Cen- 
tral Group. 

I  mention  this  point,  here  and  now,  for  the 
reason  that  one  of  our  visiting  Students  (who 
lives  a  long  way  from  the  Center)  recently 
said  to  me  that  one  of  the  Inner  Group  Stu- 
dents is  making  the  statement  and  conveying 
the  impression  that  he  has  ^^  developed  the 
sense  of  Spiritual  Sight' \  Now,  it  so  hap- 
pens that  the  Student  referred  to  as  making 
these  claims  and  impressions  has  not  even 
been  admitted  to  the  Technical  Work,  to  say 
nothing  of  his  having  gone  far  enough  to  de- 
velop the  sense  of  spiritual  vision.  As  a  re- 
sult, however,  a  number  of  letters  have  come 
to  me,  asking  me  personally  and  directly  if  it 
is  true. 

Knowing,  as  I  do  in  this  particular  in- 
stance, that  the  impression  is  erroneous,  and 
that  the  Student  referred  to  has  not  de- 
veloped the  sense  of  spiritual  vision,  to  such 
of  these  letters  as  I  have  been  able  to  respond 
thus  far  I  have  been  compelled  to  reply  very 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.         251 

frankly  to  the  effect  that  the  impression  is 
not  true,  I  regret  deeply  to  be  placed  in  this 
position. 

Even  if  the  Student  had  actually  been  ad- 
mitted to  the  Technical  Work  and  had  gone 
far  enough  to  have  developed  the  sense  of  in- 
dependent spiritual  vision,  it  would  have 
been  a  serious  error  to  mention  that  fact  to 
anyone  outside  the  Central  Group.  And  even 
within  the  membership  of  our  Central  Group, 
it  is  a  mistake,  involving  serious  indiscretion, 
to  discuss  such  matter — except  under  the 
most  extraordinary  circumstances  wherein 
something  of  real  and  vital  importance  is  to 
be  accomplished  thereby.  In  the  case  refer- 
red to  it  is  very  clear  that  no  such  extraordi- 
nary circumstances  existed. 

The  result  is  that  nothing  of  good  and 
much  of  harm  followed  directly.  But  this  in- 
cident furnishes  very  conclusive  proof  of  the 
fact  that  any  discussion  of  such  matters 
among  the  Students  and  Friends  of  the  Work 
only  serves  to  divert  attention  from  the  real 
and  the  practical  phases  of  the  Work  we  are 
all  trying  to  accomplish.  It  stimulates  only 
the  sense  of  curiosity,  and  awakens  the  de- 
sire for  the  mysterious.  In  due  time  this 
would  lead  naturally  to  a  certain  shade  of  su- 
perstition, especially  among  those  who  have 


252         THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORIC. 

not  gone  far  enongli  to  have  made  certain 
demonstrations  for  themselves. 

In  this  connection,  there  are  some  real  diffi- 
culties we  have  to  meet  and  overcome.  Some 
of  these  call  for  the  exercise  of  great  wisdom, 
discretion,  humility  and  loyalty. 

For  instance,  it  is  a  fact  that  the  Manager 
of  the  Indo-American  Book  Co.  comes  into 
personal  contact  with  many  Students  and 
Friends  of  the  Work  from  all  sections  of  the 
country.  Many  of  these  come  to  the  Book  Co. 
thinking  that  to  be  the  general  headquarters 
of  the  Great  Work  in  America,  and  hoping  to 
meet  me  there.  A  goodly  number  of  these 
come  asking  for  help  concerning  all  manner 
of  personal  problems.  Often  it  is  in  search 
of  health,  or  happiness,  or  information  that 
will  bring  them  wealth — or  success  in  other 
lines.  They  meet  the  business  Manager  of 
the  Book  Co.  and  through  him  learn,  for  the 
first  time,  how  very  difficult  it  is  for  them  to 
reach  me  personally  without  previous  ar- 
rangement and  by  special  appointment. 
^Thereupon  they  open  their  hearts  to  him  and 
ask  him  to  help  them. 

In  some  instances  (where  the  problems  are 
simple  and  within  the  range  of  his  personal 
knowledge)  he  is  able  to  be  of  some  service  to 
them.     Such  as  these  go  away  exceedingly 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  253 

grateful  to  him.  In  some  instances  I  have  no 
doubt  they  obtain  a  more  exalted  impression 
of  his  status  and  development  than  the  real 
facts  would  warrant. 

The  same  thing,  to  less  extent,  might  very 
easily  be  true  with  reference  to  almost  every 
one  of  the  Other  Students  and  Friends  of  the 
Central  Group. 

By  reason  of  the  difficulties  which  surround 
us  all,  I  trust  the  Friends  of  the  Work  will 
accept  from  me,  in  the  spirit  of  Friendship 
and  Brotherly  Love,  the  admonition  to  study 
with  the  utmost  care  every  word  they  utter, 
lest  they  may  set  in  motion  some  impression 
that  is  untrue  and  harmful  to  the  Cause  and 
the  Work  in  which  we  are  all  engaged. 

And  let  me  beg  of  you,  one  and  all,  every- 
where, to  avoid,  as  far  as  may  be  possible, 
all  discussions  of  the  phenomenal^  the  occult, 
the  marvelous,  the  mystical  and  the  mysteri- 
ous, more  especially  in  the  presence  of  those 
who  are  not  in  and  of  the  Work,  or  who  are 
not  far  enough  advanced  to  understand,  ap- 
preciate and  make  due  allowance  at  all  times. 
Even  among  yourselves  the  utmost  care  and 
caution  should  be  exercised  at  all  times,  lest 
you  fall  into  the  habit  of  ignoring  the  real 
purpose  and  intent  of  the  School  and  the 
Work  and  of  allowing  yourselves  to  appeal 


254         THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

too  strongly  to  the  emotional,  the  impulsive 
and  the  imaginative. 

Bear  in  mind  constantly  the  fundamental 
fact  that  this  entire  Movement  is  intended  as 
an  appeal  to  the  '^Progressive  Intelligence 
of  the  Age'' ;  that  it  is  an  appeal  to  Reason y 
to  Conscience^  to  the  Logic  of  Facts,  and  that 
it  all  rests  upon  the  definite  findings  of  Nat- 
ural Science. 

It  involves  an  education  that  is  eminently 
Practical  in  the  life  and  activities  of  every 
Student  and  Friend  of  the  Work;  and  if  it 
does  not  appeal  to  his  Eeason  and  his  Intelli- 
gence, rather  than  to  his  impulsive  and  emo- 
tional nature,  then  it  has  failed  of  its  pur- 
pose, and  must  go  down  in  history  as  a  fail- 
ure that  is  monumental  and  without  excuse 
at  any  point. 

And  this  brings  us  back  once  more  to  the 
vital  importance  of  Discretion,  Humility, 
Loyalty  and  Unselfishness  in  all  we  do  and 
say ;  as  well  as  to  the  increasing  importance 
of  overcoming  Vanity,  Egotism  and  Selfish- 
ness, as  the  most  savage  and  dangerous 
^^Lions^^  that  crouch  close  beside  the  path- 
way we  all  must  travel  over  the  rough  and 
rugged  mountains  between  us  and  the  Land 
of  Liberty  and  Light  toward  which  we  are 
moving. 


THE  SPIRIT  OP  THE  WORK.         255 

Let  me  earnestly  hope  that  all  those  good 
Friends  whose  letters  I  have  not  been  able  to 
answer  as  I  should  like  to  have  done  (by  let- 
ter) will  accept  this  in  lieu  thereof,  and  per- 
mit me  to  feel  that  I  have  done  my  best  to 
discharge  the  responsibility  I  owe  to  them 
as  fellow  Students  and  Friends  of  the  Work. 

Let  me  beg  of  you,  my  Friends,  here  and 
everywhere,  to  take  this  letter  home  to 
yourselves,  as  a  personal  message  from  those 
who  would  serve  you  and  through  you  the 
Great  Cause  that  is  dear  to  the  heart  of  every 
honest  and  loyal  Student  and  Friend  of  the 
Work. 

Know  that  it  is  written — every  word  of  it — 
''with  malice  toward  none  and  charity  for 
aiV;  and  that  I  am  impelled  by  the  spirit  of 
Friendship,  Good  Will  and  abiding  Love  for 
all  concerned.    AMEN ! 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  "WORK.         257 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

No.  9, 

Once  more  the  '^ball-bearing*'  wheels  of 
the  universe  have  rolled  us  around  until  we 
are  facing  another  Christmas;  and  then  an- 
other New  Year  is  just  beyond  that  great 
Christian  Holiday  of  this  tiny  little  earth  of 
ours  with  its  humanly  immense  responsibili- 
ties. 

As  the  days  go  by  and  I  realize  the  rapid 
approach  of  this  most  wonderful  of  all  our 
Holidays,  I  cannot  repress  the  dull,  deep 
heartache  of  intense  sympathy  with  the  mul- 
titudes of  those  who  look  forward  to  an- 
other Holiday  of  suffering  from  hunger,  cold, 
loneliness,  privation  and  want  in  all  their 
hideous  outlines. 

I  do  not  like  to  throw  a  shadow  of  any  kind 
over  the  spirit  of  such  a  season,  and  I  hope 
what  I  am  going  to  say  will  not  be  received 
in  that  way,  nor  in  the  spirit  of  pessimism. 
For  its  sole  purpose  is  to  awaken  among  the 
Friends  of  the  Great  School  and  Work  the 


258         THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

spirit  of  sympathy,  good  will  and  helpful- 
ness, for,  toward  and  among  those  who  need. 

The  spirit  of  Christmas  Giving  is  beauti- 
ful and  sweet  beyond  the  power  of  tongue  or 
pen  to  express  in  words.  I  would  not,  for  all 
the  material  wealth  of  the  nation,  become  re- 
sponsible for  the  utterance  of  any  word, 
phrase,  sentence,  paragraph,  thought  or  senti- 
ment, knowingly  and  intentionally,  for  the 
purpose  of  killing  or  even  restraining  such  a 
spirit  among  those  who  have  become  my  Stu- 
dents and  Helpers  in  the  Great  Cause  for 
which  we  labor. 

But  I  am  wondering  today,  as  I  ponder 
over  the  great  ocean  of  human  suffering  and 
sorrow,  privation  and  need,  whose  mighty 
waves  beat  upon  the  shores  of  Time  so  close 
at  our  feet,  if  it  might  not  be  both  possible 
and  right  for  me  to  do  what  I  can  to  direct 
the  activities  of  that  beautiful  and  gracious 
spirit  along  somewhat  different  lines  than 
those  of  the  giving  of  material  gifts  of  great 
value  to  those  we  love,  rather  than  to  those 
who  need. 

It  seems  to  me  that  this  would  be  right.  And 
I  am  thinking  what  a  glorious  thing  it  would 
be  if  I  but  had  sufficient  influence  to  induce 
all  the  people  of  this  beloved  land  of  ours  to 
spend    all   the   money   they   will    put    into 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  259 

'^ Christmas  Gifts'^  this  year,  only  among 
those  who  are  in  actual  need  of  clothing,  food, 
shelter,  medical  skill  and  nurses '  care — to  say 
nothing  of  intellectual  education  and  Moral 
Training. 

Do  you,  beloved  Friends,  have  any  clear 
idea  what  this  would  mean?  Think  of  it  for 
a  moment.  We  have  close  to  100,000,000  peo- 
ple in  this  country  alone.  Suppose  our 
Christmas  gifts  this  year  would  average  one 
dollar  each  (I  am  told  that  this  is  less  than 
half  the  actual  amount  spent  last  year)  it 
would  give  us  $100,000,000  for  the  relief  of 
the  poor  who  suffer  for  the  actual  necessi- 
ties of  life. 

It  would  seem  that  this  amount  should  al- 
most, if  not  entirely,  relieve  the  suffering  of 
the  entire  country  for  lack  of  the  actual  ne- 
cessities of  food,  clothing  and  shelter.  And 
what  a  blessing  this  would  be,  if  there  were 
but  some  practical  way  of  bringing  it  about ! 

But  there  is  no  way  at  present.  I  believe 
the  time  will  come  when  it  will  be  possible  to 
accomplish  such  results,  and  far  greater;  for 
I  am  convinced  that  the  time  is  coming  when 
the  economic  solution  of  the  Great  School 
will  govern  the  finances  and  the  business  of 
this  blessed  country  of  ours — the  best  in  the 
world  as  it  is,  but  holding  within  itself  the 


260         THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

potentialities  of  something  immeasurably  bet- 
ter than  anything  we  know  today. 

But  it  is  a  long  road  to  that  ideal  consum- 
mation. It  cannot  be  taken  at  a  bound.  It 
must  be  taken  slowly,  carefully  and  surely, 
step  by  step.  For  it  is  one  of  the  conditions 
of  human  nature,  that  every  progressive  sug- 
gestion for  the  betterment  of  society  along 
any  line  whatsoever  is  looked  upon  by  the 
great  ruling  majority  of  the  uninformed  with 
suspicion. 

So  accustomed  have  we  become  to  the  dis- 
covery of  ^*  Graff  and  other  phases  of  dis- 
honesty in  public  places — and  often  under  the 
cloak  of  ^^ Reform^ \  or  ^'Progressive  Poli- 
ties'^, or  some  other  name  that  blinds  the  peo- 
ple for  a  time  until  they  can  be  robbed — that 
it  is  almost  impossible  to  command  the  atten- 
tion of  those  who  suffer  and  are  in  need  of 
relief,  or  to  enlist  them  in  behalf  of  any  con- 
structive evolutionary  movement  or  effort  in 
their  own  behalf. 

Even  the  names  of  *^  Religion '',  the 
' '  Church  '\  "  Philosophy '%  "  Science '  % 
*^ Freemasonry'^  and  many  others  equally  as 
worthy,  have  been  conjured  with  to  deceive 
the  innocent  and  entice  the  ignorant,  the 
vicious  and  the  superstitious. 

We  must,  therefore,  not  blame  society  for 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.         261 

its  conservatism  and  reluctance  in  accepting 
the  earnest  pledges  of  men  and  women  who 
are  entirely  honest  and  worthy,  who  offer  to 
lead  them  out  of  the  wilderness  of  dishon- 
esty and  all  its  consequent  suffering  and  sor- 
row, into  the  sunshine  of  Life,  Liberty  and 
Happiness. 

"While  I  know  that  there  is  a  complete  and 
perfect  solution  of  the  great  problem  of  eco- 
nomics and  sociology ;  at  the  same  time  I  also 
know  that  it  will  take,  perhaps,  half-a-century 
of  the  most  thoughtful,  earnest  and  unselfish 
educational  effort  on  the  part  of  the  Great 
School  of  Natural  Science  to  prepare  the  way 
for  its  acceptance  among  the  masses  of  so- 
ciety, sufficient  to  lead  up  to  its  inauguration 
and  complete  demonstration  publicly. 

The  work  we  are  doing  to-day  is  the  first 
regular  step  to  that  end.  I  have  reference 
more  especially  to  the  work  of  Personal  Li- 
struction,  through  the  medium  of  which  those 
who  apply  for  admittance  as  Students  and 
prove  their  readiness  to  receive  it  and  their 
willingness  and  ability  to  use  it  rightly,  are 
given  the  Personal  Instruction  which  enables 
them  to  come  into  the  possession  of  the  accu- 
mulated knowledge  of  the  ages  concerning 
the  Ethical  Principles  necessary  to  enable 


262         THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

them  to  exemplify  the  Constructive  Principle 
of  Nature  in  their  Individual  Lives. 

To-day  we  have  thus  educated  but  a  very 
few  thousands  of  such  Students  in  America, 
and  they  are  scattered  from  one  end  of  the 
country  to  the  other.  The  largest  number  in 
any  one  center  does  not  exceed  100  -men  and 
women.  Then  there  are  groups  of  50,  25,  15, 
10,  5,  and  so  on,  here  and  there  in  the  cities 
and  towns,  in  all  parts  of  the  United  States. 
And  finally,  there  are  individual  Students  and 
Friends  of  the  Work  everywhere  who,  thus 
far,  are  reading  the  books,  studying  the  litera- 
ture, receiving  the  instruction,  and  doing 
their  very  best  to  equip  themselves  to  become 
my  active  and  trusted  Helpers  in  the  wonder- 
ful work  of  passing  on  the  knowledge  to  oth- 
ers like  themselves  who  are  able  to  prove 
themselves  duly  and  truly  prepared,  worthy 
and  well  qualified,  of  lawful  age  and  properly 
vouched  for. 

The  value  of  this  Instruction  will  be  the 
better  understood  and  appreciated  when  it  is 
known  that  it  is  all  an  individual  instruction. 
That  is  to  say,  there  are  no  classes.  On  the 
other  hand,  each  individual  Student,  when 
proven  entitled  to  it,  is  assigned  to  an  In- 
structor who,  in  most  cases,  resides  in  some 
other  part  of  the  country.    He  receives  his 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.         263 

lessons  in  the  form  of  Problems,  direct  from 
his  Instructor,  through  the  mails.  He  does 
his  work  entirely  alone  and  unaided  by  any- 
one else,  and  when  he  has  completed  any 
given  task  he  submits  his  work  and  all  its 
details  to  his  Instructor  alone  and  in  like 
manner,  by  mail. 

Whenever  his  work  is  found  complete  and 
correct,  and  in  all  ways  satisfactory  to  his 
Instructor,  it  is  accepted  and  he  is  permitted 
to  pass  to  the  next  Problem,  or  Lesson ;  and 
so  on,  throughout  the  entire  course  of  study 
upon  which  he  has  entered. 

It  is  not  intended  to  convey  the  idea  that 
there  are  no  classes  for  the  study  of  the  text- 
books and  other  literature  of  the  School.  In 
truth,  there  are  a  good  many  such  classes 
throughout  the  country;  but  they  are  com- 
posed of  individuals  entirely  outside  the 
ranks  of  our  Students  and  *^  Friends  of  the 
Work*'  (as  we  use  the  latter  term),  and  are 
in  no  way  under  the  direction  or  supervision 
of  the  School,  or  any  of  its  Students  or  Help- 
ers. Such  classes  are  non-official,  for  the 
existence  and  work  of  which  the  School  as- 
sumes no  responsibility.  And  yet,  these 
classes  are  accomplishing  much  good  for  their 
own  members,  and  without  knowing  it,  they 
are  leading  many  out  of  the  bonds  of  intellec- 


264  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

tual  and  religious  bondage,  and  preparing 
them  for  studentship  in  the  Great  School,  in 
due  course  of  time.  It  is,  therefore,  not  the 
purpose  nor  the  desire  of  the  School  to  dis- 
courage such  classes.  The  only  point  it  is 
desired  to  make  clear  is  the  simple  fact  that 
these  classes  are  not  under  the  direction  or 
control  of  the  School  or  its  Eepresentatives. 

But  I  have  drifted  slightly  from  the  exact 
theme  I  had  in  mind  when  I  began.  Whilst 
I  know  full  well  that  it  would  be  but  a  waste 
of  time  and  energy  (at  this  time)  for  me  to 
offer  any  suggestions  touching  the  foundation 
principles  of  economics  and  sociology ;  never- 
theless, I  thought  it  might  not  be  out  of  place 
for  me  to  make  a  suggestion  or  two  touching 
the  problem  of  our  coming  *^ Holiday  Gifts'' 
— for,  to  me,  that  subject  has  truly  become  a 
^* Problem^'  of  no  mean  proportions. 

Unless  I  say  something,  and  say  it  in  time 
for  the  November-December  number  of  Life 
and  Action,  there  is  not  the  least  doubt  that 
I  shall  receive  a  large  number  of  '  ^  Christmas 
Gifts''  that  I  do  not  need,  involving  the  ex- 
penditure of  a  considerable  amount  of  money 
which  might  be  made  to  relieve  the  suffering 
and  actual  needs  of  a  number  of  deserving 
men,  women  and  children  who  would  other- 
wise find  it  difficult  to  go  through  another 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  265 

Holiday  without  losing  their  Faith  in  both 
God  and  Humanity;  to  say  nothing  of  their 
confidence  in  the  honesty  and  good  faith  of 
our  Government  and  its  representatives,  in 
their  attitude  toward  the  rich  and  the  poor 
of  our  beloved  country. 

To  make  clear  just  what  I  mean,  let  me  tell 
you  something  that  happened  last  Christmas, 
and  several  previous  Christmases : 

Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  previous 
years  had  supplied  me  an  immense  stock  of 
such  things,  which  I  had  never  been  able  to 
use  up,  there  came  to  me  something  like  24 
splendid  silk  handkerchiefs,  about  36  excel- 
lent linen  handkerchiefs,  some  40  pairs  of  the 
very  best  socks  that  could  be  found,  3  mag- 
nificent gold-mounted  fountain  pens,  2  lovely 
watch  fobs,  a  considerable  number  of  beauti- 
ful dishes  and  pieces  of  silver-ware,  some  10 
or  12  pictures  of  various  sizes  and  qualities 
— most  of  them  expensively  framed — 3  paper- 
cutters  and  letter  openers,  6  or  8  pencils,  per- 
haps a  dozen  bottles  of  perfume,  an  extra  fine 
toilet  set,  2  very  fine  and  expensive  traveling 
bags  (one  alligator  hide  and  the  other  calf), 
3  expensive  and  handsome  umbrellas,  3  lovely 
ink-wells,  4  delightful  paper-weights,  3  pairs 
of  suspenders,  2  neck-tie  holders,  2  pairs  of 
cuff-buttons,  2  pencil-holders,  2  magnificent 


266  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

neck-mufflers,  4  gold  collar-buttons,  2  re- 
ceipted checks  each  for  a  $2.00  pair  of  gloves, 
12  valuable  books,  various  articles  of  clothing 
and  wearing  apparel  for  men,  and  a  diversity 
of  articles  of  household  and  office  furniture, 
and  over  all  these  came  a  perfect  shower  of 
bouquets  of  the  most  beautiful  and  expensive 
flowers  to  be  had. 

Most  of  these  articles  I  could  make  no  real 
use  of;  but  they  were  '^presents'',  all  of  them 
coming  from  the  dearest  and  best  Friends  in 
the  world.  There  is  always  something  about 
a  ^^Giff  that  grips  the  heart,  and  gives  to 
the  gift  a  value  to  its  recipient  which  makes 
it  impossible  to  part  with  it  to  anyone  else, 
even  in  need,  without  a  sense  of  disloyalty  to 
the  friend  who  gave  it. 

Perhaps  this  is  wrong,  but  I  cannot  help 
the  feeling.  I  always  value  a  gift  as  I  love 
its  giver,  and  I  never  receive  a  gift  of  any 
kind  without  mentally  following  the  friend  in 
his  or  her  hunt  for  it  through  all  the  mystic 
maze  of  Christmas  shopping,  and  sharing  all 
the  pleasure  of  ^^ finding''  and  selecting  the 
article,  just  as  if  it  were  I  who  was  hunting, 
selecting,  buying  it  and  sending  it  to  a  be- 
loved Friend  whom  I  wished  to  surprise  and 
make  happy. 

It  is  this  halo  of  pleasant  memories  and 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.         267 

sentiments  (that  cluster  about  each  and  every 
Gift  that  comes  to  me)  which  makes  it  vir- 
tually impossible  for  me  to  part  with  it,  even 
to  one  whom  I  know  to  be  in  actual  need  of 
it. 

I  do  not  know  whether  I  am  different  from 
my  Friends  and  from  other  people  in  general 
in  this  regard  or  not.  I  have  a  very  strong 
conviction  that  I  am  wonderfully  ^^ human'' 
in  this  respect,  and  very  much  like  every 
other  human  who  has  normal  friendship  and 
aifection  for  his  fellows. 

My  beloved  Friends,  do  you  get  the  point? 
I  hope  so,  with  all  my  heart;  for  if  you  do  I 
know  you  will  understand  and  appreciate 
what  I  am  going  to  suggest.  It  must  be  appar- 
ent now,  from  the  foregoing  illustration,  that 
it  is  utterly  impossible  for  friends  to  indulge 
in  the  exchange  of  valuable  Christmas  gifts 
without  violating  every  principle  of  utility 
and  service.  Nobody  but  my  daughter  knows 
what  I  have,  or  what  I  need,  and  therefore  it 
is  impossible  for  my  friends  to  select  gifts 
for  me  without  duplicating  the  things  I  al- 
ready have. 

The  same  is  true  with  regard  to  every  one 
of  my  Friends.  I  do  not  know  what  you  have 
nor  what  you  may  need,  nor  what  would 
please  you.     If  I  undertake  to  reciprocate 


268  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

your  gifts  I  must  simply  shut  my  eyes  and 
guess  at  it ;  and  in  so  doing  I  am  sure  to  select 
what  you  do  not  need  nor  care  for. 

To  avoid  this  constant  and  useless  waste 
of  money,  and  to  conserve  all  the  material 
means  we  have  for  those  who  actually  need 
our  help,  let  me  suggest  that  we  discontinue 
this  custom  of  miscellaneous  and  haphazard 
Christmas  giving  entirely;  and  in  its  place 
let  us  remember  each  other  on  that  occasion 
with  a  simple  and  inexpensive  card  of  greet- 
ing and  good  will. 

Then  let  us  send  to  Dr,  E.  M.  Webster, 
9139  Commercial  Ave,,  Chicago,  III. — Treas- 
urer of  the  LEAGUE  OF  VISIBLE  HELP- 
ERS— every  dollar  we  can  spare  for  such 
gifts,  and  ask  him  to  add  it  to  the  Funds  of 
the  League  for  the  help  of  those  poor,  dis- 
tressed, suffering  and  dependent  men,  women 
and  children  who  are  in  actual  and  dire  need 
of  food,  clothing,  heat  and  shelter. 

I  do  not  mean  to  suggest  that  the  Students 
and  Friends  of  the  Work  apply  this  to  the 
members  of  their  own  families,  nor  to  any 
of  their  friends  whom  they  know  to  be  in 
need  and  whom  they  desire  to  remember  and 
know  will  serve  the  double  purpose  of  a 
friendly  remembrance  and  a  helping  hand, 
help  at  the  same  time  with  gifts  that  they 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.         269 

Wherever  the  law  of  utility  and  service  can 
be  observed  and  an  actual  need  supplied,  a 
Christmas  gift  is  a  most  beneficent  agency 
for  good. 

But  unless  these  elements  can  be  conserved 
the  custom  of  miscellaneous  Christmas  giv- 
ing becomes  an  actual  and  powerful  agency 
and  influence  for  harm,  and  thus  violates  the 
spirit  and  purpose  which  originally  brought 
the  custom  into  existence  as  a  national  and 
international  institution. 

Whether  these  suggestions  are  adopted 
generally  among  our  Students  and  Friends 
or  not,  I  must  ask,  in  all  seriousness,  that 
they  be  adopted  and  acted  upon  insofar  as  I 
personally  am  concerned.  My  daughter  asks 
that  her  name  be  added  to  mine.  Wliilst  I  love 
my  Friends  with  an  affection  that  is  deep  and 
loyal  and  I  appreciate  their  every  friendly  re- 
membrance of  me,  whether  at  Christmas  time 
or  at  other  times,  I  want  them  to  know  that 
I  am  not  in  need  of  anything  they  could  pos- 
sibly think  of  in  the  way  of  Christmas  gifts ; 
and  that  it  will  please  me  a  thousand  times 
more  if  they  will  send  me  a  penny  card  of  re- 
membrance on  that  occasion,  in  future,  and 
forward  every  cent  they  would  otherwise 
have  spent  for  me,  to  Dr.  Webster,  for  the  re- 


270  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

lief  of  those  who  do  need  all  the  help  it  will 
be  possible  for  us  all  to  give  them. 

If  there  is  a  Local  Group  of  the  League 
handy  to  you,  it  would  be  just  the  same  if  you 
should  make  your  contributions  for  charity  to 
the  Treasurer  of  that  Local  Group. 

Of  course,  I  am  assuming  that  the  Students 
and  Friends  of  the  School  and  Work  would 
prefer  to  patronize  the  League  because  it  is 
the  one  instrumentality  through  which  the 
School  is  endeavoring  to  exemplify  the 
*^ Spirit  of  the  Work"  in  the  matter  of  giving 
material  aid  to  those  within  its  reach  who 
suffer  and  need  its  help. 

Then  again,  they  have  the  assurance  that 
100  cents  of  every  dollar  that  is  contributed 
to  the  League  for  charity,  goes  to  that  alone, 
without  deductions  for  any  purpose  whatso- 
ever. This  feature  of  the  League  Work,  I 
believe,  is  unique  among  eleemosynary  insti- 
tutions of  the  present  time;  and  we  *4iold  a 
patent"  on  it.  The  importance  of  this  will 
be  understood  when  the  records  of  the  Asso- 
ciated Charities,  and  other  similar  institu- 
tions, are  examined  and  the  percentage  de- 
ducted for  "Expenses''  are  noted. 

But,  lest  I  may  be  misunderstood,  or 
thought  lacking  in  liberality,  let  me  say  that 
I  am  not  criticising  other  institutions  j  neither 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  271 

would  I  want  to  be  understood  as  soliciting 
the  patronage  of  any  movement  engaged  in 
the  noble  work  of  helping  the  poor  who  need. 
If  the  Students  of  this  School  prefer  to  dis- 
tribute their  contributions  through  other 
channels  than  the  League,  that  is  their  privi- 
lege, and  I  would  not  wish  to  influence  them 
further  than  they  might  be  influenced  by  a 
knowledge  of  the  simple  facts.  The  most  im- 
portant consideration  is  that  they  do  what 
they  feel  able  to  do  for  the  great  army  of  the 
hungry  and  suffering  who  are  dependent  up- 
on the  sympathy  and  generosity  of  those  who 
are  able  to  help,  however  little. 

Whilst  I  have  spoken  for  myself  alone,  in 
asking  the  Students  and  Friends  of  the  Work 
to  remove  my  name  entirely  from  the  list  of 
those  to  be  remembered  with  *^  Christmas 
Gifts '*  and  devote  the  money  to  the  League 
for  the  suffering  poor  who  need;  neverthe- 
less, I  am  aware  of  the  fact  that  I  voice  the 
sentiments  of  virtually  all  the  members  of 
the  Central  Group — and  I  believe  most  of  the 
Friends  of  the  Work  everywhere  else. 

I  believe  that  they  will  all  be  gratified  to 
know  that  I  have  also  voiced  the  sentiments 
of  the  Great  Friends. 

And  I  am  convinced  that  if  the  suggestion 
should    be    adopted    by    the    Students    and 


272         THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

Friends  generally,  it  will  mean  that  we  have 
inaugurated  a  custom  that  will  be  adopted  by- 
others;  and  in  the  years  to  come  it  will  be 
remembered  as  the  first  definite  step  in  the 
great  Heart  Movement  of  Humanity  towards 
the  practical  Universal  Brotherhood  of  Man. 

In  the  thirty  years  of  my  unremitting 
study  of  the  Human  Soul  from  the  viewpoint 
of  the  Great  School,  I  have  come  very  closely 
in  touch  with  the  inner  Heart  Life  of  Human- 
ity, and  I  have  learned  a  good  many  things 
that  have  surprised  me. 

One  of  these  is  that  men  and  women  of  all 
classes,  grades,  stations,  conditions,  inclina- 
tions, tendencies,  temperaments  and  idiosyn- 
crasies are  deeply  susceptible  to  the  influence 
and  potency  of  human  sympathy.  It  runs 
like  a  golden  thread  through  all  the  races 
and  conditions  of  men,  and  whenever  and 
wherever  it  is  touched  it  sends  a  deep  thrill 
of  joy  to  the  very  center  of  all  humanity.  It 
is  the  understanding  and  recognition  of  this 
that  have  led  nature's  true  noblemen  out  of 
the  depths  and  upward  and  onward  in  the 
march  of  humanity  to  an  understanding  of 
the  possibility  of  ^* Universal  Brotherhood", 
with  ^^God  as  the  Father  of  all". 

It  was  and  is  the  recognition  of  this  golden 
cord  of  human  sympathy  that  is  at  the  f  oun- 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.         273 

dation  of  the  League  of  Visible  Helpers.  And 
it  is  this  that  makes  the  active  work  of  the 
League  one  of  such  profound  joy  to  all  who 
share  in  it.  Every  gift  of  help  to  those  in 
need  touches  this  golden  cord  of  human  sym- 
pathy which  makes  all  the  world  akin.  It  is 
this  that  makes  the  faces  of  League  distribu- 
tors shine  with  the  illumination  of  the  Angels 
of  Mercy  and  of  Love.  It  is  this  that  will 
make  of  the  League  the  first  step  in  the  jour- 
ney of  mankind  toward  the  ^^City  of  Sarras'' 
— The  City  of  the  Soul — where  Universal 
Brotherhood  is  the  governing  fact  and  princi- 
ple of  life. 

I  want  the  members  of  the  League  to  be  the 
Standard-Bearers  who  shall  fix  the  Flag  of 
Universal  Sympathy  and  Brotherhood  high 
upon  the  Mountain  of  Truth,  where  all  the 
world  may  see  it — and  know  who  set  it  there. 

I  verily  believe  that  if  the  Students  and 
Friends  of  the  Work,  among  themselves  only, 
will  adopt  the  suggestion  I  have  made  con- 
cerning the  matter  of  Christmas  Gifts,  they 
will  find  that  it  solves  for  them,  and  solves 
rightly,  a  problem  which  is  steadily  growing 
more  and  more  difficult  and  embarrassing, 
and  which  must  inevitably  continue  to  do  so 
until  somebody  has  the  courage  and  the  wis- 
dom to  lead  the  way  to  something  better. 


274         THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

Go  on,  if  you  so  desire,  and  follow  the  cus- 
tom of  Christmas  Giving  among  the  members 
of  your  own  families;  but  let  it  stop  there. 
But  even  then  it  seems  to  me  that  much  real 
harm  can  and  will  be  done,  unless  you  modify 
the  former  custom  sufficiently  to  limit  your 
gifts  to  such  as  you  know  will  be  both  accept- 
able and  serviceable  to  the  receiver. 

I  have  a  blessed  sister  who  lives  on  the 
farm,  in  the  little  old  home  where  she  and  I 
spent  most  of  the  years  of  our  childhood  to- 
gether. She  and  her  husband  are  getting 
along  in  years,  and  are  still  very  poor  finan- 
cially. I  know  many  things  they  greatly  need, 
in  order  to  make  the  old  home  even  fairly 
comfortable.  To  them  I  still  practice  the  cus- 
tom of  giving;  but  I  limit  my  gifts  to  the 
things  I  know  will  be  of  greatest  service  to 
them,  and  render  them  the  largest  measure 
of  comfort  as  well  as  happiness. 

The  rest  of  my  relatives  are  all  Brothers, 
and  they  are  all  abundantly  provided  with 
the  means  by  which  to  purchase  not  only  the 
necessities  of  life,  but  many  of  the  comforts 
and  luxuries.  To  them  I  make  no  gifts  of  ma- 
terial value,  and  from  them  I  receive  none. 
I  am  glad  that  this  is  so,  for  we  understand 
each  other  and  know  that  the  love  between  us 
is  deep,  sincere  and  abiding.   They  all  know 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.         275 

that  I  am  carrying  a  heavy  burden  of  respon- 
sibility, and  I  also  know  that  they  have 
theirs;  and  so,  we  go  on  toward  the  river 
that  bounds  the  Great  Divide,  safe  and  secure 
in  the  consciousness  of  mutual  love  and  un- 
derstanding. 

To  me  this  seems  the  only  right  way,  and  I 
am  glad  that  it  appeals  to  them  in  the  same 
way.  Each  year  I  take  an  account  of  my  ma- 
terial means,  and  carefully  determine  how 
many  dollars  I  can  spare  for  the  help  of  the 
Great  Army  of  the  hungry  and  unclad.  Then 
I  send  the  amount,  in  a  lump  sum,  to  the 
League,  where  I  KNOW  that  it  will  be  made 
to  go  much  farther  and  do  vastly  greater  serv- 
ice than  I  could  make  it  do,  for  those  who  are 
in  need. 

The  League  officials  know  every  family 
within  the  range  of  their  jurisdiction,  that 
are  worthy  and  in  need  of  help,  not  other- 
wise provided  for.  They  keep  themselves 
informed  all  the  time  and  in  every  case,  so 
that  every  penny  of  the  funds  at  their  com- 
mand shall  be  made  to  purchase  the  largest 
measure  of  food,  clothing,  shelter  and  other 
necessities  possible,  for  those  who  truly  need 
the  help  they  can  give. 

And  you  will  be  glad  to  know  that  the  be- 
loved EA,  who  shared  with  me  the  glorious 


276         THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

triumph  of  bringing  the  League  into  exis- 
tence,— though  on  the  other  side  of  the  Great 
Divide — is  still  a  contributor  to  the  Fund  of 
the  League  for  the  relief  of  those  who  need, 
and  will  continue  to  be,  so  long  as  the  means 
she  left  shall  last.  One  of  my  greatest  earth- 
ly joys  is  that  of  carrying  out  her  wishes  in 
that  regard. 

As  soon  after  the  first  of  the  year  as  may 
be  possible,  the  League  Officials  will  render 
their  annual  reports,  from  which  it  will  be  a 
pleasure  to  lay  before  the  readers  of  Life 
and  Action  the  facts  of  interest  and  value  to 
all  who  desire  to  know  what  the  League  is 
doing  and  what  of  good  it  is  accomplishing. 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  277 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

No,  10. 

Again  and  again  I  am  reminded  of  the  fact 
that  my  responsibilities  as  editor-in-chief  of 
this  little  magazine  are  so  numerous,  varied 
and  complex  as  to  transcend  the  limits  of  my 
abilities,  and  almost  constantly  lay  me  open 
to  the  just  charge  of  inefficiency. 

One  of  the  criticisms  dwelt  most  upon  by 
the  book-reviewers  and  literary  critics  for 
the  various  newspapers  throughout  the  coun- 
try, at  the  time  of  the  publication  of  the  vol- 
umes of  the  Harmonic  Series,  was  with  ref- 
erence to  frequent  ^  *  repetitions ' '  of  subject- 
matter  charged  against  the  authors. 

From  a  purely  literary  standpoint  the 
criticism  was  frankly  admitted  by  the  au- 
thors to  be  justified.  Before  our  manuscripts 
went  to  the  publishers,  however,  this  very 
point  was  gone  over  by  us  together,  and  we 
knew  in  advance  that  our  critics  would  not 
overlook  their  opportunity.  And  we  admit- 
ted, to  ourselves  and  to  each  other,  that  the 


278         THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

criticism  would  be  fairly  justified  from  a 
strictly  literary  point  of  view. 

But  we  realized  that,  as  the  accredited  rep- 
resentatives of  the  Great  School  of  Natural 
Science,  charged  with  the  responsibilities  of 
a  great  educational  movement,  we  dared  not 
stand  upon  the  literary  merit  alone,  and  thus 
ignore  the  educational  results  to  be  accom- 
plished. 

And  the  further  we  have  gone  in  this  work 
of  education  the  more  conclusive  has  become 
our  complete  justification.  For,  over  and 
again,  we  are  compelled  to  note  the  fact  that, 
in  the  face  of  all  our  efforts  so  to  emphasize 
the  vital  points,  by  reiteration  and  repeti- 
tion, by  illustration  and  elucidation,  as  to 
impress  them  indelibly  upon  the  minds  of 
our  readers,  we  find  that  our  success  has 
been  only  a  fraction  of  what  we  had  hoped  it 
might  be. 

And  this  same  difficulty  accompanies  all 
my  work  and  efforts  in  Life  and  Action.  In 
order  to  be  sure  that  my  meaning  has  been 
made  so  clear  that  none  may  misunderstand 
nor  misconstrue  it,  I  find  it  necessary  to  go 
over  the  same  subject  again  and  again,  re- 
stating, reiterating,  repeating — until  all 
sense  of  literary  proportions  have  been  lost 
— and  still  my  readers  fail  to  receive  my 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK,         279 

messages  in  such  manner  as  to  remember 
them.  Every  issue  of  the  magazine  I  find  it 
necessary  to  repeat  something  of  serious  im- 
portance which  I  have  said  before,  and  in 
some  instances  it  is  something  I  have  re- 
peated many  times  before. 

Since  the  publication  of  the  last  issue  of 
the  magazine  two  distinct  instances  of  this 
particular  difficulty  have  occurred;  and  it 
is  my  purpose  to  repeat  them  again  in  this 
number  of  Life  and  Action,  with  an  added 
emphasis,  if  possible,  in  the  hope  of  lodging 
them  so  firmly  this  time  that  I  shall  never 
again  have  to  repeat  them — to  the  present 
subscribers  to  Life  and  Action, 

1.  Life  and  Action  is,  primarily,  a  Mes- 
senger; secondarily  it  is  a  distributor  of  gen- 
eral information,  and  matters  that  its  edi- 
tors think  will  be  of  interest  to  its  readers. 

In  its  primary  capacity  it  affords  the  edi- 
tor-in-chief and  his  assistants  a  means* 
through  which  to  communicate  instructions 
and  such  authentic  teachings  and  findings  of 
the  Great  School  as  seem  to  be  of  importance 
to  the  educational  movement  for  which  the 
Great  Work  in  America  stands,  to  the  Stu- 
dents and  Friends  of  the  Work,  and  answer 
many  questions  from  Students  and  Friends 
of  the  Work  all  over  the  country,  which  ques- 


280         THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

tions  cannot  be  answered  by  personal  letters. 

In  this  capacity,  whatever  appears  in  its 
columns  from  the  pen  of  its  editor-in-chief 
(the  TK),  or  its  assistant  editor  (Dr.  J.  D. 
Buck),  is  intended  to  be  ^^ authentic^'  and  to 
represent  the  **  voice  of  the  SchooP'.  Of 
course,  its  editors  themselves  may  say  some 
things  that  represent  their  own  individual 
opinions,  at  times;  but  wherever  possible 
they  will  differentiate  between  these  and  the 
teachings  of  the  School,  in  such  manner  as  to 
leave  no  uncertainty  in  the  minds  of  their 
readers. 

In  its  secondary  capacity,  however,  there 
are  a  great  many  things  in  the  nature  of 
current  information,  or  report,  which  may 
not  be  authentic  nor  intended  to  represent 
the  School  at  all,  and  3^et  of  sufficient  interest 
to  the  Students  and  Friends  of  the  Work,  in 
the  judgment  of  the  editors,  to  find  place  in 
its  columns.  These  might  all,  perhaps,  fall 
under  the  general  head  of  ^^  Items  of  Inter- 
est''. 

Then  again,  the  editor-in-chief  is  the  re- 
cipient of  numerous  manuscripts  from  all 
over  the  world.  These  come  from  Students 
sometimes,  and  other  times  from  those  who 
are  merely  readers  of  the  magazine.  Now 
and  then  comes  a  manuscript  from  a  total 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  281 

stranger  to  the  School.  A  good  many  of 
these  manuscripts  are  extremely  interesting, 
and  deserve  to  find  a  place  in  the  columns 
of  some  good  journal.  Most  of  them,  how- 
ever, do  not  appear  to  us  to  fall  within  the 
lines  of  interest  to  our  readers.  These  we 
return  with  our  thanks.  The  others  we  pub- 
lish. 

Then  again,  it  seems  to  be  a  natural  de- 
velopment of  the  age  that  causes  many  writ- 
ers to  express  themselves  in  verse.  We  re- 
ceive an  almost  endless  number  of  manu- 
scripts of  this  nature.  Out  of  the  number 
there  is  an  occasional  document  that  meas- 
ures up  to  our  conception  of  real  *^  Poetry '\ 
It  seems  good  to  us  to  give  a  few  of  these 
space  in  the  columns  of  Life  and  Action.  But 
they  must  not  be  taken  by  our  readers  as  the 
voice  of  the  Great  School.  They  are  pub- 
lished merely  for  their  poetic  beauty,  in  some 
instances,  and  in  others  because  they  express 
sentiments  that  seem  to  us  helpful  to  some 
of  our  readers.  But  even  these  latter  are 
not  to  be  accepted  by  our  readers  as  *^  Au- 
thoritative utterances  of  the  School.  ^^  We 
do  not  believe  they  have  been. 

Under  this  secondary  capacity  we  pub- 
lished in  the  last  issue  of  the  magazine  an  ar- 


282  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

tide  entitled  ^*AN  OLD  PROPHECY  RE- 
VIVED'', beginning  at  page  58. 

This  article  came  to  ns  from  one  of  the 
Friends  of  the  Work,  as  an  item  of  interest, 
with  the  request  that  it  be  published  in  Life 
and  Action.  It  so  happened  that  I  had  heard 
of  this  *^01d  Prophecy"  a  number  of  times. 
My  attention  had  been  called  to  it  several 
times  within  the  last  year  by  Students  and 
Friends,  and  I  had  been  asked  a  number  of 
questions  concerning  it. 

Inasmuch  as  I  was  not  previously  familiar 
with  the  entire  scope  and  character  of  the 
alleged  ** Prophecy",  I  was  unable  to  an- 
swer the  various  questions  asked  me  con- 
cerning it.  Therefore,  when  it  came  to  me, 
accompanied  by  the  request  for  its  publica- 
tion, it  occurred  to  me  that  the  most  satisfac- 
tory method  of  answering  the  various  ques- 
tions about  it  would  be  to  publish  it  in  full. 
This  we  did;  and,  with  the  exception  of  the 
first  paragraphs,  it  is  a  reprint  from  the 
^'Lincoln  Daily  Courier^ \  of  Nebraska,  under 
date  of  January  13,  1897. 

It  never  once  occurred  to  me  that  any 
reader  of  Life  and  Action^  least  of  all  any 
Accredited  Student  of  the  Great  School, 
would  consider  its  publication  in  this  maga- 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  283 

zine  in  any  other  light  than  merely  as  an 
item  of  somewhat  curious  interest. 

Inasmuch  as  it  is  entirely  clear,  upon  its 
face,  that  the  ^^ Prophet'^  who  uttered  it  was, 
in  truth,  no  prophet  at  all — since  some  of  its 
very  definite  and  vital  terms  have  been  long 
since  proven  by  TIME  to  be  false — ^it  did  not 
occur  to  me  that  anybody  would  ever  sup- 
pose, for  an  instant,  that  it  was  being  pub- 
lished as  an  utterance  of  the  Great  School,  or 
as  a  prophecy  for  the  accuracy  or  fulfilment 
of  whose  terms  the  Great  School  could  or 
would  vouch  in  any  way  whatsoever. 

In  view  of  all  this,  I  am  sure  my  readers 
can  scarcely  appreciate  my  surprise  and  shock 
upon  receiving  from  one  of  the  Students  of 
the  School  (a  man  who  has  the  reputation  of 
being  a  level-headed,  clear-sighted,  far-see- 
ing, clear-thinking  business  man)  a  telegram 
asking  if  the  Great  School  vouched  for  the 
truth  of  the  prophecy,  and  if  not  why  the  ar- 
ticle was  published  in  Life  and  Action — ask- 
ing for  a  reply  in  full,  by  telegram,  more  ac- 
curately, by  ^^  night  lettergram  *\ 

This  incident  set  me  thinking  again  as  to 
ways  and  means  whereby  I  might  be  able  to 
differentiate  the  various  articles  published 
in  Life  and  Action,  in  such  manner  that  it 
will  not  be  necessary  for  me  to  write  a  pre- 


284  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

lude,  introduction,  postlude  or  explanation, 
with  each  separate  article,  in  order  that  my 
readers  may  know  how  much  of  each  article, 
if  any,  its  readers  are  to  treat  as  *^  authenti- 
cated^' by  the  Great  School;  and  how  much, 
if  any,  they  are  to  consider  as  ** doubtful''; 
and  how  much,  if  any,  they  should  reject  en- 
tirely as  false. 

It  would  seem  that  there  are  some  of  my 
readers  who  want  to  look  upon  the  magazine 
as  strictly  and  solely  the  mouthpiece  of  the 
Great  Friends,  so  that  once  having  accepted 
the  School  as  an  authority,  they  may  accept 
everything  that  appears  in  the  magazine  as 
necessarily  true,  without  the  necessity  of  ex- 
ercising their  reason,  or  giving  any  consid- 
eration whatsoever  to  the  principles  of  logic 
and  common  sense. 

No  greater  mistake  was  ever  made.  No 
system  of  education  which  would  assume  to 
relieve  its  students  from  the  necessity  of 
using  their  reason,  logic,  judgment  and  good 
sense,  at  every  step  of  the  way  and  every 
turn  of  the  road,  is  entitled  to  the  least  con- 
sideration whatsoever. 

I  will  go  still  further  and  assert  that  any 
school  which  professes,  or  assumes,  or  would 
try  to  make  its  students  believe  that  it  is  in- 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK  285 

fallible^  is  false  upon  its  face,  a  fake,  and 
deliberately  Jesuitical. 

Coming  very  close  home,  let  me  say  that 
whenever  Life  and  Action  becomes  so  much 
of  an  ^^ Authority  ^^  to  its  readers  that  it  as- 
sumes to  do  their  thinking  and  reasoning  for 
them,  without  expecting  them  to  verify  the 
accuracy  of  its  statements,  it  will  be  time  for 
you,  my  Students  and  Friends,  to  drop  your 
subscriptions  to  it  and  subscribe  to  some 
other  journal  that  will  make  it  necessary  for 
vou  to  THINK,  EEASON,  and  use  your  IN- 
TELLIGENCE and  your  INDEPENDENT 
JUDGMENT. 

Even  when  I  tell  you  that  the  editorials  in 
Life  and  Action  are  intended  to  stand  for  the 
teachings,  findings  and  principles  of  the 
Great  School,  I  do  not  mean  to  convey  the 
idea  or  impression  that  its  editors  are  in- 
fallihle.  Far  from  it.  I  do  not  want  any 
Student  or  Friend  of  mine  ever  to  grow  to 
have  so  much  confidence  in  me  as  to  think 
that  a  thing  is  necessarily  true  just  because 
I  say  it  is,  I  could  not  do  either  you  or  my- 
eelf  a  greater  injustice. 

I  do  want  you  to  believe,  however,  that 
whenever  I  make  a  statement  of  fact  serious- 
ly and  in  earnest,  I  believe  that  I  am  stating 
the  exact  Truth*    But  I  do  not  want  you  to 


286  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

believe  in  its  truth  just  because  I  have  said 
it.  If  it  does  not  appeal  to  both  your  reason 
and  your  conscience,  I  want  you  to  reject  it, 
or  at  least  hold  it  in  abeyance  until  you  can 
either  verify  or  disprove  it. 

If  ever  you  get  to  thinking  so  much  of  me 
as  to  ^^  swallow  whole  ^'  everything  I  say, 
without  putting  it  to  the  test  of  your  own 
intelligence,  reason  and  conscience,  I  want 
you  to  remember,  from  that  time  forward, 
that  I  am  your  most  dangerous  enemy.  And 
this  is  literally  true,  because  any  man  who 
deprives  you  of  the  power  to  exercise  your 
intelligent  faculties,  capacities  and  powers, 
has  already  done  you  a  most  grievous  injury. 

The  Student  and  Friend  who  endeavored 
to  **  swallow ''  that  old  ^^Phophecy'^  just  be- 
cause he  saw  it  in  Life  and  Action,  was  do- 
ing not  only  himself  but  me  an  injustice.  Had 
he  followed  the  rule  I  am  endeavoring  to 
promulgate  and  elucidate,  he  would  have  sub- 
mitted the  statements  therein  contained  to 
the  tribunal  of  his  own  intelligence,  reason 
and  conscience,  in  which  event  he  never 
would  have  sent  such  a  message.  Neither 
would  he  have  thought  for  one  instant  that 
the  School  was  laboring  under  the  prophetic 
impression  that  the  principal  part  of  the 
Pacific  coast  was  on  the  verge  of  disappear- 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  287 

ing  beneath  the  mighty  waves  of  the  grand 
old  Pacific  Ocean. 

I  am  aware  of  the  fact  that  there  are  both 
men  and  magazines  who  would  not  hesitate 
to  assume  the  responsibility  of  doing  the 
thinking,  the  reasoning,  the  concluding  and 
the  judging  for  as  many  of  the  human  race 
as  might  be  induced  to  enter  into  such  a 
compact.  I  ani  also  aware  of  the  fact  that 
this  is  virtually  the  position  which  the 
Church  of  Eome  assumes  toward  its  mem- 
bers. Other  churches  also  are  not  entirely 
free  from  the  same  suggestion.  But  whether 
it  be  man,  magazine,  church  or  school,  the 
responsibility  is  one  which  the  individual 
himself  alone  is  capable  of  discharging  wise- 

2.  The  second  incident  to  which  I  refer  is 
somewhat  like  unto  the  first,  although  it  has 
reference  to  another  phase  of  the  subject. 

The  incident  itself  was  somewhat  as  fol- 
lows: A  Student  of  the  Great  School  here 
in  Chicago  had  occasion  to  travel,  and  in  the 
course  of  his  journey  he  met  and  became 
quite  intimately  acquainted  with  another  Stu- 
dent in  a  different  section  of  the  country. 
Because  they  were  both  Students  of  the 
Great  School  they  had  confidence  in  each 
other  at  once.    The  result  was  (one  of  the 


288  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

results,  I  should  say)  that  they  entered  into 
a  business  combination. 

It  soon  developed  that  the  business  was, 
to  say  the  least,  a  mistake.  It  failed,  and 
one  of  them,  at  least,  lost  a  neat  little  for- 
tune.   WHY? 

I  think  you  already  see  the  point.  The 
confidence  of  the  man  who  lost,  was  so  un- 
qualified in  his  partner,  that  he  ^  ^  swallowed  * ' 
the  other  man's  bait,  hook,  sinker  and  line, 
and  doubtless  would  have  swallowed  the  pole, 
reel,  minnow-bucket,  and  entire  fishing  tackle 
had  he  been  asked.  And  he  did  this  only  be- 
cause of  his  confidence  in  the  Great  School, 
and  in  his  faith  that  any  man  who  has  been 
accepted  as  an  accredited  Student  cannot  be 
other  than  the  very  soul  of  honor;  and  not 
only  that,  but  that  such  a  man  must  neces- 
sarily be  exceptionally  bright  and  intelligent, 
and  therefore  capable  of  making  a  success  of 
any  business  he  might  undertake. 

Confidence  is  a  beautiful  thing.  Confidence 
in  our  fellow  man  is  sublime.  Confidence  is 
something  for  which  every  honest  man  should 
strive  to  be  worthy.  Confidence  in  the  Great 
School  and  in  its  teachings  and  findings  on 
the  part  of  my  Students  and  readers  is  some- 
thing for  which  I  have  been  laboring  more 
than  thirty  years.    Confidence  in  the  loyalty, 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  289 

wisdom  and  integrity  of  the  Students  of  this 
School,  in  their  relations  with  each  other,  is 
one  of  the  splendid  consummations  for  which 
the  Great  Friends  and  their  accredited  repre- 
sentative in  America  have  labored  long  and 
earnestly. 

But  Confidence  is  one  thing — OVER-Con- 
fidence  or  blind  faith,  is  quite  another.  It 
is  perfectly  natural  that  every  honest  and 
loyal  Student  of  this  School  should  have  a 
certain  amount  of  confidence  in  every  other 
Student  who  has  been  tried,  tested  and  found 
**  worthy  and  well  qualified '*  to  assume  the 
duties  and  responsibilities  of  an  accredited 
Student  of  the  School. 

It  is  hoped  the  time  will  come  when  such 
confidence  will  be  wholly  justified.  But  I  feel 
it  my  duty  once  more  to  caution  the  Students 
and  Friends  of  the  Work  against  that  char- 
acter of  blind  confidence  and  trust  in  their 
fellow  Students  which  impels  them  to  assume 
relations  with  them  in  business  and  in  other 
ways  solely  because  they  are  Students  and 
without  in  any  manner  whatsoever  subject- 
ing them  to  the  most  common  business  tests 
nor  demanding  of  them  any  assurances  or 
evidences  of  their  business  intelligence  and 
integrity. 


290  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

I  do  not  want  the  readers  of  Life  and  Ac- 
tion to  obtain  from  anything  I  have  said  the 
notion  that  I  do  not  have  confidence  in  the 
Students  of  this  School.  I  DO  have  confi- 
dence in  them,  and  that  confidence  is  of  the 
most  exalted  and  definite  character.  Up  to 
the  present  time  not  a  single  applicant  has 
been  admitted  as  a  Student  until  after  I  per- 
sonally have  subjected  the  applicant  to  every 
required  test,  and  found,  to  the  best  of  my 
knowledge  and  belief,  that  he  (or  she)  is 
*'duly  and  truly  prepared,  worthy  and  well 
qualified '^ — which,  when  properly  inter- 
preted, means  that  I  have  obtained  the  very 
best  of  evidence  upon  which  to  establish  my 
own  unqualified  personal  confidence  and 
trust. 

And  furthermore,  I  can  say  without  the 
least  equivocation  or  mental  reservation  of 
any  kind  whatsoever,  that  I  do  not  believe 
there  is  an  equal  number  of  men  and  women 
today,  associated  together  in  a  common 
Cause,  among  whom  there  exists  so  exalted 
an  average  of  Morality,  so  high  a  general 
standard  of  Honor,  nor  a  more  worthy  gen- 
eral average  of  Character,  than  exist  among 
the  Students  who  make  up  the  body  of  this 
Movement. 

Then  why  am  I  delivering  myself  of  this 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  291 

warning  against  trusting  each  other  because 
they  have  faith  in  the  School,  in  its  teachings, 
and  in  the  exemplification  of  the  principles 
for  which  the  School  stands? 

I  think  you  already  know  the  answer.  It 
is  because  of  the  natural  tendency  of  our  Stu- 
dents to  overstep  the  bounds  of  natural  cau- 
tion due  to  everyone.  It  is  not  because  of 
their  wise  confidence  and  trust  in  each  other. 
It  is  because  of  the  seeming  tendency  of  our 
Students  to  ignore  all  the  elements  of  a  per- 
fectly discreet  caution,  and  blindly  trust  each 
other  in  matters  and  ways  wherein  their  Stu- 
dentship is  no  guaranty  whatever  that  they 
possess  either  the  knowledge,  the  experience, 
the  discretion,  or  the  other  elements  of  char- 
acter that  would  justify  the  quality  or  de- 
gree of  confidence  and  trust  reposed  in  them. 

In  a  previous  article  I  discussed  this  same 
principle  under  the  head  of  ^^  Taking  Things 
For-Granted,'*^  And  that  is,  indeed,  the  key 
to  the  matter  to  which  I  am  now  referring. 
The  Chicago  Student  to  whom  I  have  re- 
ferred ^Hook  for-granted^*  virtually  every- 
thing concerning  his  fellow-student  in  the 
east.  He  trusted  his  Intelligence.  He  trusted 
his  business  experience.  He  trusted  his  busi- 
ness education.  He  trusted  his  discretion. 
He  trusted  his  judgment.     He  trusted  his 


292  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

honesty.  He  trusted  his  moral  and  business 
ideals.  He  trusted  his  business  standing.  He 
truted  his  motives. 

And  he  did  all  this  so  completely,  so  un- 
qualifiedly, so  blindly,  that  he  ignored  every- 
thing else.  And  by  thus  taking  everything 
for  granted,  and  refusing  to  exercise  even  a 
minimum  of  caution,  he  did  not  realize  that 
he  was  constituting  himself  a  temptation  to 
his  fellow  student  greater  than  he  could  re- 
sist. 

In  this  I  am  speaking  from  the  fulness  of 
a  personal  experience.  And  it  is  very  large- 
ly because  of  this  personal  experience,  and 
the  bitter  disappointments  I  have  suffered  as 
a  direct  result  thereof,  that  I  am  endeavoring 
to  guard  you,  my  fellow  students  and  friends, 
from  making  the  same  mistake  which  I  have 
made. 

3.  There  is  yet  another  phase  of  this  same 
subject  which  has  come  to  my  attention  since 
the  first  pages  of  this  article  were  written, 
and  which  I  have  spoken  of  in  previous  is- 
sues of  Life  and  Action,  but  which  would 
seem  to  require  further  emphasis. 

I  have  reference  to  the  temptation  among 
Students  to  '^ borrow^ ^  from  each  other,  un- 
der the  pressure  of  business  conditions.  This 
temptation  rests  entirely  upon  the  feeling  of 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  293 

confidence  that  a  fellow-student  cannot  re- 
fuse a  ^^loan''  to  another  fellow-student  who 
is  in  need  of  temporary  aid.  And  this  con- 
fidence in  the  notion  that  one  Student  can- 
not find  it  in  his  heart  to  refuse  a  *'loan'' 
to  another  Student,  is  well  founded.  I  Know, 
from  personal  experiences,  how  difficult  it  is 
to  decline  such  *  ^  loans '  ^  And  again,  it  is  my 
own  personal  experience  that  impels  me  to 
repeat  this  admonition  and  caution,  and  em- 
phasize it  with  all  the  force  at  my  command. 

It  is  all  right  for  one  Student  to  help  an- 
other, even  to  the  extent  of  lending  him 
money,  provided  he  observes  all  the  accepted 
principles  of  good  business  in  doing  so.  In 
truth,  there  is  no  just  reason  why  the  Stu- 
dents and  Friends  of  this  School  should  not 
enter  into  business  relations  among  them- 
selves, and  enjoy  many  benefits  and  pleas- 
ures therefrom  which  they  could  not  enjoy 
with  those  who  are  on  the  outside — PEO- 
VIDED  always,  and  under  all  conditions, 
that  they  observe  all  the  principles  of  safe 
and  legitimate  business  relations,  and  never 
on  any  account  allow  themselves  to  presume 
upon  the  friendship's  ties  that  grow  out  of 
the  relation  of  Students  to  each  other. 

In  other  words,  I  am  not  seeking  to  dis- 
courage the  principle  of  co-operation  among 


294  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

Students  of  this  School  in  a  strictly  business 
sense.  On  the  other  hand,  I  am  looking  for- 
ward to  the  time  when  it  will  be  possible  for 
the  Students  of  this  School  to  exemplify 
among  themselves  the  co-operative  principle 
in  business,  in  such  manner  as  to  demon- 
strate the  scientific  accuracy  of  the  economic 
principles  of  the  Great  School. 

But  I  want  to  make  it  so  clear  now  that 
none  may  ever  misunderstand  the  fact  that 
the  Students  of  this  School  cannot  afford  to 
*  *  take  things  for  granted ' '  among  themselves 
in  a  business  way,  any  more  than  they  can 
in  a  social  or  moral  sense.  They  dare  not 
presume  upon  their  relation  as  Students. 
They  must  not  open  the  door  of  temptation, 
by  assuming  that  they  will  not  be  held  to 
as  rigid  a  standard  of  Personal  Eesponsi- 
bility  as  are  men  outside  the  School  in  the 
great  business  world.  On  the  other  hand, 
they  should  remember  that  they  are  held  by 
the  principles  of  Natural  Science  and  the 
Law  of  Compensation  to  a  far  more  exact- 
ing standard  of  Personal  Eesponsibility  and 
Moral  Accountability  than  is  anywhere 
practiced  in  the  business  world. 

If  you  should  ever  find  yourself  in  serious 
need  of  material  aid,  do  not  feel  that  what  I 
have  herein  said  is  intended  to  prevent  you 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  295 

from  going  to  a  fellow-student  for  help. 
For,  it  is  just  possible  that  your  situation 
might  be  such  that  you  would  find  yourself 
unable  to  go  elsewhere.  But  remember  this: 
If  you  ever  go  to  a  fellow-student  for  help, 
go  to  him  prepared  to  meet  every  demand 
of  safe  and  legitimate  business. 

On  the  other  hand,  if  perchance  you  are 
driven  to  the  wall,  and  find  yourself  quite 
unable  to  give  legitimate  business  securities 
which  would  justify  a  fellow- student  in  lend- 
ing you  the  money  you  need,  do  not  try  to  de- 
ceive him.  Do  not  make  him  promises  which 
you  have  reasons  to  believe  you  may  not  be 
able  to  meet  in  both  letter  and  spirit,  when 
the  time  comes.  If  you  err  at  all  under  such 
conditions,  it  is  far  better  for  all  concerned 
that  you  err  on  the  side  of  caution  and  con- 
servatism than  upon  the  side  of  promises 
you  cannot  fulfil. 

It  is  far  better  for  you  to  plead  pauperism 
and  thus  place  your  claims  upon  the  basis 
of  pure  and  unadulterated  *^ Charity*'  in  the 
sense  of  **  alms-giving, "  than  it  is  to  hold 
out  false  inducements  to  a  fellow-student 
only  in  the  end  to  disappoint  him  and  de- 
stroy his  confidence  in  your  honesty.  For, 
every  such  disappointment  comes  back  upon 
the  School  and  the  Work,  and  upon  those  of 


296  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

us  who  are  charged  with  the  responsibilities 
of  directing  the  Work  in  this  country.  Every 
such  mistake  helps  to  justify  the  claims  of 
our  enemies  that  ** something  is  wrong.'' 
And  remember  that  they  are  tireless  and 
sleepless,  watchful  and  unscrupulous,  and 
that  no  opportunity  to  injure  the  Cause  will 
be  overlooked  or  lost. 

One  other  point  let  me  emphasize :  In  all 
your  business  relations  with  your  fellow- 
students,  be  scrupulously  frank  and  unam- 
biguous in  your  methods.  Be  sure  that  you 
at  all  times  give  them  full  information  upon 
every  point  and  every  phase  of  the  business, 
so  that  they  may  know  all  that  you  know  that 
will  have  any  bearing  whatever  upon  your 
ability  to  meet  your  every  engagement  with 
them.  Do  not  keep  them  in  ignorance  of 
matters  they  have  a  right  to  know.  Do  not 
keep  them  in  the  dark  as  to  your  own  status, 
nor  leave  them  in  doubt  as  to  any  plan,  pur- 
pose, motive  or  act  of  your  own. 

Here  again  I  speak  from  the  depths  of  a 
personal  experience  that  has  hurt  me  more 
deeply  and  caused  me  greater  anguish  of 
Soul  than  anything  that  has  occurred  in  the 
thirty  years  of  my  service  to  the  Cause  of 
Truth  and  Humanity  in  this  country.  I  know 
of  nothing  that  hurts  more  deeply  than  to 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  297 

lose  one's  confidence  in  a  beloved  Friend  in 
whose  loyalty  and  honesty  one  would  have 
trusted  his  dearest  possessions,  even  life  it- 
self. 

If  ever  you  should  command  the  confidence 
of  the  Great  Friends  so  far  as  to  be  en- 
trusted and  charged  by  them  with  the  execu- 
tion and  fulfillment  of  a  sacred  Trust  in- 
volving the  very  life  of  a  great  Movement 
such  as  this  in  which  we  are  engaged,  I  pray 
with  all  my  heart  and  Soul  that  you  may 
never  have  cause  to  lose  your  confidence  in 
any  fellow-laborer  in  whose  fidelity  and  loy- 
alty you  have  reposed  implicit  faith  to  the 
extent  of  jeopardizing  the  success  of  all  your 
plans  and  all  your  efforts  for  their  accom- 
plishment. 

It  is  to  spare  you  this  that  I  am  trying, 
with  all  the  energy  of  my  Soul,  to  make  you 
realize  the  fact  that  in  all  your  business  re- 
lations you  owe  it  to  those  who  have  trusted 
you  to  be  absolutely  frank  and  honest  with 
them,  and  never  to  conceal  nor  withhold  any- 
thing that  in  any  way  concerns  the  success 
of  your  business  undertaking,  or  the  abso- 
lute fidelity  of  your  own  position,  your  plans 
and  your  personal  conduct 

These  are  the  things  wherein  you  cannot 
afford  to  **take  things  f or-granted. ' '  And  it 


298  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

is  just  here  where  the  Students  and  Friends 
of  this  Work  are  most  likely  to  make  their 
first  mistakes.  Because  they  have  faith  in 
the  School,  in  the  accuracy  of  its  teachings 
and  findings,  in  the  wisdom  of  its  principal 
representatives,  and  in  the  integrity  of  their 
motives,  it  is  but  natural  that  they  should 
have  confidence  in  all  those  who  have  passed 
the  tests  of  studentship  and  have  gained  ad- 
mittance into  the  ranks  of  qualified  students. 

And  because  of  this  confidence,  there  fol- 
lows the  natural  tendency  to  assume  that  it 
is  entirely  mutual — as  it  surely  ought  to  be. 
And  just  because  of  this  feeling  of  security 
there  comes  the  first  temptation  to  *^take 
for-granted"  all  manner  of  ^^ little  things'' — 
as  they  seem  to  be  at  the  time — ^but  which, 
by  the  cumulative  process,  soon  become  one 
*'hig^^  thing,  of  such  vital  importance  as  to 
threaten  the  very  life  of  all  that  your  years 
of  active  and  unremitting  service  stand  for 
and  represent. 

There  is  but  one  safe  way,  and  that  is 
never  to  make  the  first  *  kittle''  mistake  by 
assuming  something  you  have  no  right  to 
assume,  or  by  neglecting  to  exercise  frank- 
ness and  caution  because  of  your  feeling 
that :  * '  Surely  they  will  trust  me  and  under- 
stand my  motives.'' 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  299 

In  conclusion,  I  wish  with  all  my  heart 
that  I  could  impress  the  vital  nature  and 
importance  of  absolute  '^ good  faiW  in  all  we 
do.  No  man  who  has  any  real  regard  for  his 
own  reputation,  can  afford  to  fail  in  the  mat- 
ter of  keeping  his  every  promise,  to  the  let- 
ter. No  matter  how  small  may  be  the  prom- 
ise in  itself,  nor  how  unimportant  may  seem 
to  be  the  results  of  its  violation,  it  is — ^in 
its  very  nature — a  sacred  thing. 

And  it  is  here  that  so  many  open  the  door 
that  eventually  leads  to  the  most  deplorable 
tragedy  of  life,  namely,  the  death  of  Faith 
in  their  own  personal  integrity.  To  my  own 
way  of  measuring  life 's  values,  there  is  noth- 
ing so  tragic  as  the  death  of  our  highest 
ideals  and  aspirations  and  our  noblest  in- 
spirations. For  upon  these  rest  our  Faith  in 
Humanity. 

May  the  Great  Father,  the  Great  Friends 
and  the  Spiritual  Helpers  so  lead  us  by  the 
hand  of  Love,  and  point  us  to  the  pathway 
of  Duty,  that  we  one  day  shall  stand  to- 
gether in  the  midst  of  the  radiant  splendor 
of  eternal  TRUTH. 

It  is  for  the  sake  of  the  realization  of  that 
splendid  consummation  that  I  am  so  earnest- 
ly laboring  to  impress  the  Students  and 
Friends  of  the  Work  with  the  vital  necessity 


300  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

of  each  one  of  us  making  his  or  her  own 
LIFE  a  living  exemplification  of  the  real 
SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

So  mote  it  be  !  !  ! 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  301 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

No.  II. 

Our  Responsibility, 

Again  and  again  the  question  of  our  Indi- 
vidual Responsibility  to  the  School  and  the 
Work,  in  various  ways,  comes  up  for  our  con- 
sideration; and  scarcely  a  week  passes  but 
that  I  receive  one  or  more  letters  from  Stu- 
dents and  Friends  of  the  Work  all  over  the 
country,  asking  me  for  information  as  to 
their  duties  or  their  responsibilities. 

I  find  it  impossible  to  answer  all  these 
various  inquiries  through  personal  corre- 
spondence. There  is  but  one  way  in  which 
I  can  respond  to  them  all,  and  that  is 
through  the  columns  of  Life  and  Action. 
And  in  doing  this  I  shall  find  it  necessary 
to  make  my  answers  rather  general  in  order 
to  cover  the  largest  number  of  points  and 
items  of  importance. 

In  other  words,  I  shall  have  to  discuss  fhe 
general  principles  involved,  rather  than  the 
specific  incidents  referred  to  in  the  various 
letters  I  have  received. 


302  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

I  must  therefore  ask  my  readers  to  follow 
closely  all  that  I  shall  say,  in  order  that 
they  may  not  overlook  my  answers  to  their 
several  and  individual  questions;  for  I  shall 
endeavor  to  cover  them  all  in  the  course  of 
my  letters  on  ^^THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE 
WORK/' 

And  I  trust  it  is  not  necessary  for  me  to 
apologize  to  the  readers  of  Life  and  Action 
who  are  not  among  those  who  have  written 
me  for  information.  For  I  assume  that  they 
are  all  interested  in  the  success  of  the  Great 
School  and  its  Work  in  America,  and  that 
in  my  letters  under  the  above  heading  they 
will  find  answers  to  many  of  the  questions 
that  are  of  interest  to  them — although  they 
may  not  have  formulated  them  definitely,  nor 
sent  them  to  me  for  answer. 

The  fundamental  principle  I  desire  to  con- 
sider in  this  installment  of  the  Spirit  of  the 
Work  might  be  stated  briefly  in  a  number 
of  different  forms.     As,  for  instance: 

1.  The  permanency  of  any  building  is 
primarily  dependent  upon  the  character  and 
quality  of  the  materials  that  go  into  it.    Or, 

2.  The  life  and  success  of  any  ethical 
movement  will  depend,  primarily,  upon  the 
character  and  quality  of  its  members.     Or, 

3.  The  future  life  and  success    of    this 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  303 

Movement  will  depend,  primarily,  upon  the 
hind  of  men  and  women  we  admit  into  its 
membership.    Or, 

4.  The  Disintegration  and  Death  of  this 
Movement  will  inevitably  follow  our  failure 
to  guard  it  against  the  admittance  of  appli- 
cants who  are  not  duly  and  truly  prepared, 
worthy  and  well  qualified. 

Any  one  of  these  statements  is  literally 
true.  Each  one  states  a  general  Principle 
at  the  foundation  of  all  earthly  and  human 
institutions. 

The  first  applies  generally  to  all  con- 
structive institutions. 

The  second  applies  the  same  principle  to 
all  ethical  institutions  and  movements  among 
mankind. 

The  third  and  fourth  make  a  specific  and 
definite  application  of  the  same  general  Prin- 
ciple to  this  particular  and  definite  institu- 
tion wherein  we  are  members,  and  for  the 
Life  or  Death  of  which  we  are  inevitably  re- 
sponsible. 

And  it  is  of  this  that  I  want  to  talk  with 
all  of  you  who,  by  virtue  of  your  member- 
ship, must  share  with  me  the  responsibilities 
of  the  Life  or  the  Death  of  this  Great  Work 
in  America, 

I  do  not  want  to  leave  anything  unsaid,  if 


304  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

it  is  possible  to  avoid  it,  that  will  help  you 
all  (as  well  as  myself)  to  understand  and 
appreciate  the  responsibilities  that  are  justly 
ours,  and  enable  us  the  better  to  discharge 
them  in  a  manner  to  reflect  credit  upon  the 
School,  the  Work,  the  Cause,  ourselves,  and 
all  concerned. 

To  that  end,  I  must  not  overlook  the  things 
that  are  in  the  minds  of  those  who  would  en- 
joy our  failure.  I  must  not  only  recognize 
the  fact  that  the  School  has  its  enemies,  and 
that  we  all,  collectively  and  individually, 
have  our  critics  who  will  be  glad  of  anything 
we  may  do  or  say  that  will  really,  or  appar- 
ently, justify  their  hostile  criticisms  of  us, 
or  that  which  we  represent. 

One  of  the  things  they  already  have  said — 
in  various  ways,  and  with  interesting  varia- 
tions— is  somewhat  along  the  following  line 
of  thought,  viz. : 

^  *  If  the  Great  School  is  all  that  is  claimed 
for  it,  and  this  present  Movement  designated 
as  The  Great  Work  in  America  is  truly  seek- 
ing to  serve  humanity  and  benefit  all  man- 
kind, why  exclude  any  who  knock  at  the  door 
and  ask  to  be  admitted?" 

^^  Humanity  and  Mankind  are  terms  which 
include  everybody.  They  do  not  exclude  any- 
body. 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  305 

^^Then  why  does  the  School  make  terms 
and  conditions  under  which  a  large  percent- 
age of  the  human  family  is  excluded  from 
membership  in  the  School  and  Movement  be- 
cause they  are  noti  *duly  and  truly  prepared, 
worthy  and  well  qualified'  to  enter  and  be- 
come actively  identified  with  those  who  are 
already  in  and  of  itT' 

These  questions  appear  to  rest  upon  a 
foundation  of  rather  substantial  and  con- 
sistent logic,  and  would  seem  to  lay  upon  the 
School  and  its  Eepresentatives  the  onus  pro- 
handi — as  we  say  in  legal  parlance — ^meaning 
the  ^^  burden  of  proof."*^ 

It  is  therefore  only  right  that  I  should 
recognize  the  onus  and  do  what  I  can  to  lift 
it  and  remove  it  from  the  pathway  of  the 
School  and  the  Work.    Let  me  try: 

It  is  largely  by  means  of  analogies  that 
the  perplexing  problems  of  human  life  are 
solved.  By  analogies  I  hope  I  shall  be  able 
to  analyze,  elucidate  and  solve  this  one,  in 
a  manner  that  shall  command  the  confidence 
of  those  who  are  honest  and  sincere  in  their 
perplexity,  and  in  their  desire  to  know  the 
truth. 

What  is  it  that  gives  to  every  established 
and  successful  business  house,  or  firm,  the 
confidence  of  the  business  world? 


306  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

The  answer  must  be  apparent  to  every  in- 
dividual who  has  had  any  experience  in  the 
great  world  of  business.  It  is :  *  ^  Its  EEPU- 
TATION  for  business  ability  and  integrity, 
and  the  promptness  with  which  it  meets  its 
liabilities  and  discharges  its  responsibili- 
ties/' 

But  the  reputation  of  any  business  house 
or  firm  depends  upon  the  ability  and  integ- 
rity of  the  men  who  constitute  the  firm,  or 
company. 

Therefore,  in  its  final  analysis,  the  suc- 
cess of  every  business  house,  firm,  or  com- 
pany, depends  upon  the  character  of  the  in- 
dividual members  who  constitute  it. 

And  the  ability  of  any  such  house,  firm,  or 
company,  to  make  a  success  of  its  work  in 
the  business  world  and  accomplish  anything 
of  value  to  itself  or  to  the  world  in  which  it 
lives,  moves  and  has  its  being,  in  like  man- 
ner depends  upon  the  character  of  the  in- 
dividual members  who  constitute  the  house, 
firm,  or  company. 

So,  still  we  see,  success  is  dependent  upon 
the  character  of  the  INDIVIDUALS,  in 
every  instance. 

Again:  What  is  it  that  gives  to  any 
Church,  or  other  religious  institution,  the 
confidence,  respect,  sympathy  and  good  will 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  307 

of  the  public,  and  makes  it  a  success  in  the 
world  of  its  activities? 

Once  more,  the  answer  is:  Its  EEPU- 
TATION  for  honesty,  ability.  Morality  and 
Service  to  Humanity. 

But  in  this  instance,  as  in  the  other,  its 
reputation  depends  upon  the  character  of 
the  men  and  women  who  constitute  its  Mem- 
bers. 

And  its  usefulness  as  a  constructive  factor 
in  the  world  is  likewise  dependent  upon  the 
kind  of  men  and  women  who  stand  before 
the  world  as  its  living  Eepresentatives. 

And  so,  again  we  are  driven  back  to  the 
character  of  the  INDIVIDUALS,  as  the  pri- 
mary and  fundamental  basis  of  its  success 
and  its  usefulness  to  humanity. 

Let  us  suppose,  for  the  sake  of  the  illustra- 
tion, that  such  an  institution  as,  let  us  say, 
the  Presbyterian  Church,  should  cease  to  re- 
quire of  its  members  any  pledge  as  to  their 
religious  ideals  and  beliefs,  as  well  as  to 
their  moral  principles  and  ideals,  and  to  the 
LIVING  OF  A  LIFE  according  to  the  moral 
and  religious  principles  for  which  the  church 
stands — how  long  do  you  think  such  a  church 
would  continue  to  succeed,  or  to  exert  a  con- 
structive influence  among  mankind? 

There  can  be  but  one  honest  answer.  Such 


308  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

a  church  would  die  as  soon  as  the  ''Life  Ele- 
menV^  which  sustains  it,  viz. — the  principle 
of  Morality  and  Service — is  withdrawn. 

There  is  a  Natural  Law  of  CONSIST- 
ENCY to  which  all  mankind  must  acknowl- 
edge allegiance;  and  it  runs  through  every 
department  of  human  activity  and  is  at  the 
foundation  of  all  constructive  achievement. 

It  demands  of  every  individual  that  he 
shall  exemplify  in  his  daily  life  and  conduct 
the  principles  to  which  he  gives  public  ac- 
knowledgment and  a  personal  pledge  of  loy- 
alty and  allegiance. 

It  demands  of  the  man  who  publicly 
acknowledges  allegiance  to  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  that  he  shall  make  an  honest  effort 
to  exemplify  in  his  daily  life  and  conduct  the 
principles  for  which  that  church  stands. 

If  he  fails,  he  becomes  a  destructive  and 
disintegrating  influence  in  the  body  of  the 
church,  in  just  so  far  as  he  so  fails. 

And  it  is  for  this  reason — ^in  obedience  to 
the  Great  Law  of  CONSISTENCY— that 
every  Church,  and  every  other  religious  or 
moral  institution,  demands  of  its  members 
that  they  shall  prove  themselves  *'Duly  and 
truly  prepared,  worthy  and  well  qualified'' 
to  exemplify  in  their  daily  lives  and  conduct 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  309 

the  Principles  for  which  the  Church,  or 
Moral  Institution,  stands. 

And  the  onus  prohandi,  or  burden  of  proof, 
is  always  on  the  individual  who  applies  for 
admittance  as  a  member,  and  not  upon  the 
Church  or  other  institution.  And  until  he 
proves  his  qualifications  to  the  satisfaction 
of  those  whose  responsibility  it  is  to  pass 
upon  the  admissibility  of  members,  he  is 
denied  admittamce. 

And  so  it  is  in  every  other  institution 
which  stands  for  the  good  of  humanity,  and 
the  progress  of  the  race. 

The  Great  School  is  no  exception. 

It  demands  of  every  applicant  for  admit- 
tance into  membership  that  he  first  prove,  to 
the  satisfaction  of  the  School,  or  to  those 
of  its  representatives  who  are  charged  with 
that  responsibility,  that  he  is  *^Duly  and 
truly  prepared,  worthy  and  well  qualified. '* 

And  this  is  true  regardless  of  the  hostile 
criticisms  of  those  who  are  always  ready  to 
condemn  through,  ignorance,  superstition, 
fear,  envy,  jealousy,  hatred,  or  any  other 
manifestation  of  the  Destructive  Principle  of 
Nature  in  Individual  Life. 

In  the  face  of  all  we  can  do,  there  are  those 
who  will  condemn  our  efforts,  our  methods, 
our  principles,  our  lives.    Hence,  it  is  worse 


310  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

than  a  waste  of  time — it  is  folly  to  argue  the 
matter  with  them. 

Our  enemies  profess  to  see  a  great  and 
vital  inconsistency  in  the  fact  that  the  Great 
School  claims  to  be  working  for  the  good  of 
ALL  mankind;  and  yet,  at  the  same  time, 
fails  to  admit  ALL  who  apply  for  admit- 
tance as  accredited  Students  and  Members. 
They  profess  to  be  shocked,  grieved,  of- 
fended, hurt — and  to  suffer  several,  divers 
and  sundry  other  pangs  because  of  this 
alleged  inconsistency  of  the  School,  and  those 
of  us  who  are  charged  with  the  responsibility 
of  representing  it  in  all  that  pertains  to  the 
admittance  of  Students,  as  well  as  to  their 
rejection. 

But  we  must  not  allow  these  inconsistent 
pretensions  of  our  hostile  critics  and  bitter 
enemies  to  confuse  us  nor  cause  us  to  lose 
sight  of  the  principles  for  which  the  School 
and  its  representatives  must  ever  stand. 

We  must  not  forget  that  this  movement 
which  we  have  come  to  designate  as  ^^The 
Great  Work  in  America^ ^  is  subject  to  the 
same  Law  of  Life  and  Death  which  governs 
every  other  constructive  institution  or  move- 
ment in  existence. 

And  the  very  fundamental  principle  that 
calls  for  our  first  consideration  is  that  of 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  311 

absolute  HAEMONY  among  all  who  come  to 
gain  admittance  as  Students  of  the  School 
and  Friends  of  the  Work. 

In  other  words,  the  very  first  and  funda- 
mental responsibility  of  all  who  are  now  in 
the  School  is  to  see  that  no  applicant  for 
Studentship  therein  shall  be  admitted  in 
future  until  he  shall  have  proven  beyond  all 
question  that  he  is  *^Duly  and  truly  pre- 
pared, worthy  and  well  qualified." 

Apropos  of  this  very  vital  consideration, 
let  me  quote  from  a  letter  recently  written  by 
one  of  our  Students  to  another  at  a  distance, 
wherein  the  importance  of  guarding  the 
School  in  future  was  discussed  with  intelli- 
gence and  discrimination  as  follows : 

**It  must  be  evident  to  you,  as  it  is  to  me, 
that  as  our  Groups  grow  stronger  in  num- 
bers ;  as  this  Philosophy  becomes  more  wide- 
ly diffused  and  better  known  in  this  country, 
and  as  its  constructive  influence  shall  bring 
it  to  the  attention  of  our  common  enemy; 
then  will  they,  in  all  probability  make  a  de- 
termined effort  to  gain  admittance  into  our 
various  Groups. 

^^How  then,  shall  we  proceed  to  safeguard 
our  various  Groups  so  that  this  threatened 
danger  shall  be  reduced  to  the  minimum? 
How  shall  we  take  such  precautions  that  the 


312  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

entering  wedge  of  disintegration  may  not  be 
driven  home,  and  lodged  in  the  heart  of  some 
one  or  more  of  our  established  Groups  ? 

*^And  while  you  are  busy  framing  your 
answer  to  this  question,  let  me  ask  another 
which  has  a  practical  bearing  upon  the  same 
problem,  viz. : 

*^Do  you  consider  our  present  methods  of 
examining  applicants  for  admittance  suffi- 
ciently comprehensive  adequately  to  protect 
the  School  against  Jesuitical  espionage? 

^^I  am  not  familiar  with  your  methods  of 
procedure  at  the  Center,  but  here  we  have 
proceeded  somewhat  as  follows : 

*'The  applicant  (after  having  answered 
the  list  of  Preliminary  Questions,  to  the 
satisfaction  of  the  TK)  is  asked  to  meet  a 
number  of  the  local  Students  and  Friends 
of  the  Work  here.  At  these  meetings  he  is 
questioned  carefully  by  each  Student  or 
Friend  to  whom  he  is  sent,  and  is  given  the 
right  to  ask  as  many  questions  concerning 
the  School  and  the  Work  as  he  may  desire. 
If  a  single  meeting  with  each  Student  or 
Friend  is  satisfactory,  that  is  all  that  is 
required  of  him;  but  if  there  seems  to  be 
any  doubt  in  the  mind  of  any  Student  or 
Friend  the  applicant  is  asked  to  come 
again — and,  in  fact,  as  often  as  may  be  neces- 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  313 

sary  to  satisfy  the  Students  or  Friends  as  to 
his  exact  status. 

^^When  all  the  Students  and  Friends  to 
whom  he  is  sent  feel  able  to  render  an  in- 
telligent and  reliable  judgment  as  to  the  ap- 
plicant's qualifications  and  character,  they 
send  their  individual  reports  to  the  TK.  I^ 
these  reports  are  all  favorable,  the  TK  then 
formally  refers  the  application  to  our  Group 
(as  a  Group)  for  official  ballot  of  the  Group. 

**At  our  first  meeting  thereafter  the  appli- 
cation is  called  up  to  be  considered,  dis- 
cussed and  officially  balloted  upon.  We  then 
proceed  to  a  secret  ballot,  so  that  no  one  shall 
know  how  any  other  has  voted.  If  the  ballot 
is  unanimous  in  favor  of  the  applicant  that 
fact  is  made  a  part  of  the  records  of  the 
Group  meeting  and  a  report  is  sent  to  the 
TK,  whereupon  he  notifies  the  applicant  of 
his  election  and  asks  him  to  present  himself 
at  the  next  meeting  of  the  Group. ' ' 

Let  me  say,  in  this  connection,  that  the 
foregoing  is  substantially  the  method  em- 
ployed in  all  cases  where  a  local  Group  ex- 
ists, to  which  the  applicant  can  be  sent  and 
his  application  referred.  But  it  would  ap- 
pear, from  information  at  hand,  that  some 
of  our  Students  and  Friends  do  not  fully 
appreciate    the    responsibilities    laid    upon 


314  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

them  in  these  meetings  for  the  purpose  of 
examining  the  applicant  and  satisfying  them- 
selves as  to  his  character  and  status. 

The  following  from  another  letter  recently 
received  will  suggest  the  importance  of 
greater  care  on  the  part  of  our  Students: 

*^To  bring  out  my  point  more  forcibly,  I 
am  going  to  give  you  a  case  which  came 
under  my  personal  observation.  An  appli- 
cant was  referred  to  me  for  my  personal 
examination  and  report.  Two  of  our  Stu- 
dents who  already  had  met  him  volunteered 
the  information  that  he  seemed  to  them  to 
be  all  right;  but,  at  the  same  time,  one  of 
them  mentioned  the  fact  that  he  had  been 
told  the  applicant  either  now  belonged,  or 
had  belonged  in  the  past,  to  an  allegel  ethical 
society  which  is  known  to  be  a  Jesuitical 
institution,  and  I  was  asked  to  find  out  if 
he  still  was  a  member. 

**It  happened  that  at  one  of  the  Group 
meetings,  some  of  the  members  present  dis- 
cussed this  particular  applicant ;  but  I  raised 
the  point  that  it  might  be  better  for  those 
who  had  not  yet  met  the  applicant  not  to 
have  anything  said  about  him,  as  that  might 
prevent  them  from  studying  the  applicant 
free  from  bias  resulting  from  what  might  be 
said  for  or  against  him.     From  statements 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  315 

made  at  this  meeting  of  the  Group  I  inferred 
that  the  applicant  had  made  a  favorable  im- 
pression. 

*^  Later  I  met  the  applicant  and  endeav- 
ored so  to  study  and  question  him  as  to  de- 
termine, to  my  own  satisfaction,  his  qualifi- 
cations and  general  status.  I  asked  him, 
among  other  things,  whether  he  was  then, 
or  had  ever  been,  a  member  of  the  Society 
above  mentioned.  He  virtually  informed  me 
that  it  was  none  of  my  business,  and  that 
the  subject  was  entirely  outside  the  range  of 
my  right  of  inquiry. 

**I  also  had  learned  that  he  formerly  had 
made  application  to  the  School,  and  had  been 
rejected.  Naturally,  I  wanted  to  know  just 
why  he  had  been  rejected;  but  he  refused  to 
tell  me.  I  questioned  him  in  other  ways,  in 
my  endeavor  to  satisfy  myself  as  to  his  real 
attitude  and  exact  status.    . 

**  Without  going  into  further  details,  I  had 
three  interviews  with  him;  and  in  the  third 
he  manifested  considerable  impatience.  He 
said  that  I  was  the  only  one  who  had  wanted 
to  see  him  more  than  once.  He  also  stated 
that  I  was  the  only  one  who  had  asked  him 
very  many  questions.  I  cross-examined  him 
on  this  point  and  found,  to  my  surprise,  that 
he  had  been  asked  very  few   questions    by 


316  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

some  of  the  Students  to  whom  he  had  been 
referred,  and  that  he  seemed  to  have  satis- 
fied them.  He  was  very  much  surprised  that 
I  should  want  to  know  so  much  about  him. 

*' Frankly,  while  he  has  some  splendid 
qualities  of  character,  I  seem  to  see  in  him 
the  ambitious  type  of  man — one  capable  of 
doing  a  vast  amount  of  destructive  work.  To 
me,  he  appears  to  be  just  the  sort  of  man  to 
bring  inharmony  and  unrest  into  our  Group 
work. 

**This  School  and  Cause  mean  so  much  to 
me  that  I  feel  upon  my  shoulders  a  heavy 
burden  of  Personal  Responsibility  in  all  that 
concerns  the  admittance  of  applicants  who 
are  referred  to  me  for  preliminary  examina- 
tion and  try-out. 

*^Most  of  the  applicants  that  come  to  me 
are  in  a  great  hurry  to  gain  admittance  to 
the  School  and  Work;  and  for  this  reason,  if 
for  no  other,  I  do  not  believe,  as  a  rule,  we 
take  enough  time  nor  make  a  careful  enough 
study  of  applicants  before  reporting  back 
to  the  TK  upon  them. 

**Our  Group  is  wonderfully  harmonious, 
and  if  we  can  only  keep  it  so  it  has  the  great- 
est possibilities  for  constructive  work  and 
Service  to  the  School  and  Cause  in  the  years 
to  come;  but  let  us  admit  just  one  who  is 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  317 

inharmonious,  and  immediately  we  become 
like  the  great  orchestra  (to  which  the  TK 
refers)  with  one  instrument  out  of  tune.  The 
whole  orchestral  effect  would  be  destroyed, 
and  if  this  is  not  remedied  it  means  the  dis- 
integration of  our  Group  and  the  utter  fail- 
ure of  all  our  efforts. 

^^It  seems  to  me  that  the  Law  of  Self- 
Preservation  alone  is  sufficient  to  admonish 
us  to  the  exercise  of  the  utmost  vigilance  in 
our  efforts  to  guard  the  School  and  Work 
against  the  *  approach  of  cowans  and  eaves- 
droppers. ' 

*'I  called  this  to  the  attention  of  one  of 
our  older  members,  but  he  simply  said  that 
if  an  applicant  gained  admittance  who  did 
not  harmonize,  he  or  she  would  not  remain; 
but  I  asked  him  what  would  be  the  result 
in  case  the  inharmonious  one  proved  to  be 
a  Jesuitical  emissary  whose  mission  was  the 
disintegration  of  our  Group.  He  did  not 
answer. 

'^Dear  TK,  I  know  somewhat  of  your 
strenuous  life  and  Work,  and  that  every 
moment  of  your  time  should  be  conserved; 
but  would  it  not  be  a  great  service  to  the 
School  and  the  Cause,  not  only  now,  but  for 
all  time,  if  you  could  prepare  a  special  com- 
munication  dealing  with   this   matter — one 


318  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

that  would  make  us  all  feel  and  realize  the 
great  Personal  Eesponsibility  that  rests 
upon  us,  and  each  of  us,  and  inspire  every 
one  of  us  with  the  determination  to  see  that 
none  shall  pass  by  us  who  has  not  proven 
to  our  entire  satisfaction  that  he  is,  indeed, 
duly  and  truly  prepared,  worthy  and  well 
qualified?'' 

Dear  Students  and  Friends:  It  was  the 
substance  of  the  foregoing  appeal  that  im- 
pelled me  to  write  this  particular  article. 
And  I  want  to  thank  the  writer  of  the  letter 
quoted.  He  is  absolutely  correct  in  his  view 
of  the  subject.  I  wish  with  all  my  heart 
that  I  could  impress  all  of  our  Students  and 
Friends  with  the  same  understanding  and 
appreciation  of  the  situation,  and  of  their 
Personal  Eesponsibility  for  the  future  suc- 
cess or  failure,  life  or  death,  of  this  entire 
movement. 

For,  unless  I  can  accomplish  this,  some  of 
our  over-sympathetic  and  generous  **  Help- 
ers,'' out  of  their  excessive  kindliness  and 
earnest  desire  to  share  their  blessings  with 
the  whole  world,  are  going  to  make  the  sad 
and  tragic  mistake  of  opening  the  door  to 
admit  one  or  more  of  the  subtle,  clever,  but 
deadly  enemies  who  are  waiting,  with  the 
patience  of  the  grim  Messenger  of  Death, 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK  319 

for  the  hour  to  come  when  some  thoughtless, 
careless,  or  over-generous  and  susceptible 
Sentinel  shall  relax  his  vigilance  just  long 
enough  to  let  them  slip  past  him,  through  the 
door  and  into  the  School. 

They  are  waiting  for  just  that  thing  to 
occur,  and  there  is  no  limit  to  the  patience 
they  will  exercise  to  achieve  their  purpose. 

Beloved  Friends,  I  do  not  want  them  to 
succeed.  I  do  not  want  the  Great  Friends 
to  suffer  another  defeat  through  the  failure 
of  those  of  us  who  have  been  entrusted  with 
their  confidences,  and  who  have  given  our 
Pledge  of  Loyalty  that  we  will  not  fail  them. 

But  in  order  that  we  may  succeed  in  dis- 
charging the  burden  of  Personal  Eesponsi- 
bility  we  have  willingly  assumed,  we  must 
steel  our  hearts  to  withstand  the  play  of 
sophistry  upon  our  sympathies.  We  must  be 
prepared  to  meet  and  unmask  every  sophis- 
try that  cleverness  and  cunning  can  invent; 
for  we  already  have  abundant  evidence  of 
the  fact  that  we  shall  be  called  to  deal  with 
those  who  are  schooled  adepts  in  the  artful 
use  and  great  potency  of  sophistry. 

As  hereinbefore  suggested,-  our  enemies 
will  assume  the  role  of  friendly  critics  who 
are  grieved  to  note  the  inconsistency  of  the 
Great  School  in  that  it  professes  to  labor 


320  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

for  all  mankind,  and  yet  refuses  to  admit 
into  its  Work  and  its  fellowship  a  consider- 
able number  of  those  who  apply  for  admit- 
tance as  Students. 

Whenever  we  hear  such  criticisms,  let  us 
remember  that  they  are  only  clever  sophis- 
tries, designed  to  confuse  us  and  make  us 
forget  the  responsibilities  we  have  assumed 
to  guard  the  School  against  all  such  alleged 
friendly  critics  and  their  criticisms;  and  let 
us  go  on  about  our  Work  regardless  of  them. 

And  now,  in  order  to  bring  this  matter 
home  to  every  Student  and  Friend  of  .the 
Work,  and  impress  it  upon  every  mind  and 
Soul  with  such  emphasis  that  it  will  never 
again  be  forgotten  nor  neglected,  let  me  make 
a  specific  application  of  the  principle,  as  it 
should  apply  to  every  Student  who  is  en- 
trusted with  the  responsibility  of  meeting 
applicants  and  testing  them  as  to  their 
qualifications  for  studentship: 

1.  Whenever  an  applicant  is  referred  to 
you,  bear  in  mind  that  it  is  because  the 
School  wants  the  benefit  of  your  own  per- 
sonal judgment  as  to  whether  he  or  she  is 
the  sort  of  individual  who  will  add  to  the 
harmony  of  your  Group  and  become  a  con- 
structive and  integrating  favor  in  that 
Group. 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  321 

r  ,  ■  ■■■  ■ 

2.  You  must  not,  therefore,  allow  yourself 
to  shirk  your  responsibility  by  trusting  the 
matter  to  the  judgment  of  some  other  Stu- 
dent. 

3.  You  are  expected  to  become  well 
enough  acquainted  with  the  applicant  so  that 
you  can  form  a  reasonable  judgment  of  his 
or  her  character  and  qualifications  independ- 
ently. 

4.  For  that  purpose  the  applicant  comes 
to  you  upon  my  request,  and  usually  with 
a  letter  from  me  explaining  the  matter. 

5.  At  your  first  meeting  you  should  ques- 
tion the  applicant  very  carefully,  over  the 
following,  among  other  points  of  inquiry: 

(a)  Whether  married;  (b)  If  so,  what 
family;  (c)  Whether  his  or  her  companion 
is  in  full  sympathy;  (d)  Occupation  or  pro- 
fession; (e)  All  about  past  and  present 
Church  affiliations;  (f)  Whether  directly  or 
indirectly  associated  or  connected  with  the 
Eoman  Catholic  Church;  about  the  religious 
beliefs  of  his  friends  and  associates ;  (g)  Ask 
him  to  give  in  his  own  way  an  account  of  his 
past  religious  and  philosophic  studies,  mem- 
berships and  affiliations,  prior  to  and  lead- 
ing up  to  his  interest  in  this  School  and 
Work;  (h)  What,  if  any.  Students  or  Friends 
of  the  School  he  knows,  and  how  he  came 


322  THE  SPIRIT  OP  THE  WORK. 

to  know  about  the  School  and  Work,  and  be- 
came interested  in  it;  (i)  Whether  he  has 
read  and  made  a  careful  STUDY  of  all  three 
of  the  volumes  of  the  Harmonic  Series;  if 
not,  which  ones  has  he;  (j)  Whether  he  finds 
anything  in  the  teachings  and  findings  of  the 
School  therein  contained  which  he  cannot 
accept;  if  so,  what;  (k)  Question  him  care- 
fully as  to  the  motives  which  impel  him  to 
seek  admittance  as  a  Student,  and  satisfy 
yourself  fully  whether  they  are  right  or 
wrong;  (1)  What  does  he  expect  to  learn 
from  the  School,  that  will  be  of  special  in- 
terest or  benefit  to  him;  what  use  he  ex- 
pects to  make  of  the  knowledge  he  may  gain 
from  the  School;  (m)  What  he  feels  that 
the  School  has  a  right  to  expect  of  him,  in 
case  he  is  admitted ;  (n)  Whether  he  has  ever 
cheated,  wronged,  defrauded  or  otherwise 
injured  anybody  to  whom  he  has  not  yet 
acknowledged  his  wrong  and  sought  to 
remedy  the  injury;  (o)  What  are  his  own 
views  as  to  how  the  Law  of  Compensation 
applies  to  all  such  matters;  and  how  he  in- 
tends to  proceed  in  his  efforts  to  undo  the 
wrongs  he  has  committed  in  the  past;  (p) 
What,  if  any,  habits  he  has  formed  which, 
in  his  judgment,  would  in  any  way  tend  to 
make  it  difficult  for  him  to  meet  and  dis- 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  323 

charge  his  responsibilities  as  a  Student,  in 
ease  he  is  admitted;  (q)  Just  how  he  an- 
alyzes his  own  character  as  to  Discretion, 
Secrecy,  Loyalty,  Humility,  Vanity  (both 
personal  and  intellectual),  Ambition,  Leader- 
ship; (r)  Whether  he  would  be  both  able  and 
willing  to  labor  the  balance  of  his  life  for 
the  benefit  of  humanity,  in  obscurity,  and 
without  receiving  any  recognition  whatever 
from  the  public;  (s)  In  what  respects  does  he 
find  Self-Control  the  most  difficult;  whether 
Anger,  Fear,  Envy  or  Jealousy,  in  any  of  its 
various  phases,  ever  overcomes  him  and 
leads  him  to  the  commission  of  acts,  or  the 
utterance  of  words,  that  he  is  certain  to  re- 
gret; (t)  Whether  he  understands  that  his 
admittance  into  the  School  means  thereafter 
the  LIVING  OF  A  LIFE  that  shall  exem- 
plify the  real  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK, 
and  whether  he  can  and  will  do  it. 

There  are  many  other  topics  of  inquiry 
that  should  be  covered,  until  you  have  satis- 
fied yourself  whether  or  not  he  can  and  will 
meet  the  demands  of  the  School  and  Work  in 
such  manner  as  to  enable  him  to  work  in  ab- 
solute Harmony  with  other  Students  and 
Friends  of  the  Work,  and  discharge  the  re- 
sponsibilities that  will  devolve  upon  him,  in 
the  event  of  his  admittance  as  a  Student. 


324  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

In  the  very  nature  of  the  subject,  it  is 
hardly  possible  for  you  to  cover  all  this 
ground  at  one  meeting,  in  such  manner  as 
to  satisfy  yourself  on  all  the  various  phases 
of  his  qualifications. 

And  then,  bear  in  mind  also,  that  you  are 
to  make  clear  to  him  the  fact  that  it  is  his 
right  to  ask  any  questions  he  may  desire, 
whether  or  not  he  has  knocked  at  the  right 
door,  and  whether  or  not  he  desires  to  pro- 
ceed further.  You  must  be  sure  that  he 
understands  fully  that  it  is  always  his  right 
to  stop  at  any  point,  or  turn  back;  and  that 
he  is  not  asked  to  assume  any  obligation  that 
can  in  the  least  interfere  with  his  already 
assumed  Duties  and  Responsibilities  to  his 
Family,  his  People,  his  Country  or  himself. 

Make  him  know  that  you  are  only  trying 
to  learn  to  know  him  well  enough  to  know 
whether  or  not  you  can  recommend  him  as 
^^Duly  and  truly  prepared,  worthy  and  well 
qualified ' '  for  admittance  as  a  Student. 

And  if  you  cannot  satisfy  yourself  at  one 
meeting  (as  will  more  than  likely  be  the 
case)  tell  him  frankly  that  you  want  to  meet 
him  again — and  possibly  a  number  of  times, 
before  you  will  feel  yourself  able  to  dis- 
charge your  responsibility  to  the  School  and 
Work  wisely. 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  325 

Do  not  at  any  time  allow  him  to  feel  that 
there  is  anything  perfunctory  about  the  mat- 
ter ;  but  that  every  step  of  the  way  is  fraught 
with  the  gravest  and  most  vital  responsibili- 
ties ;  and  that  for  his  sake,  as  well  as  that  of 
the  School  and  yourself,  neither  he  nor  you 
can  afford  to  make  any  mistakes. 

And  do  not  discontinue  your  meetings  with 
him  until  you  are  entirely  satisfied: 

1.  That  he  is  all  right,  and  entitled  to 
your  favorable  recommendation  for  admit- 
tance; or, 

2.  That  he  is  actuated  by  unworthy  mo- 
tives, and  is  not  entitled  to  your  favorable 
recommendation;  or, 

3.  That  he  is  good  material,  but  needs 
more  time  to  study  the  text-books  and  litera- 
ture of  the  School,  before  you  can  recommend 
him;  and  that  he  should  be  told  wherein  he 
is  lacking,  and  encouraged  to  go  on  and  pre- 
pare himself ;  or, 

4.  That  there  is  something  in  him  that 
causes  you  to  distrust  him  and  doubt  his 
motives  and  purposes.  In  this  case  you  are 
always  to  give  the  School  the  benefit  of  the 
doubt,  and  make  clear  to  him  that  he  is  ^^not 
yet  ready.''  It  would  not  be  wise,  in  this 
case,  for  you  to  offend  him  by  confessing 
frankly  that  you  question  his  motives;  but 


326  THE  SPIEIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

the  wise  thing  to  do  in  that  case  is  simply  to 
advise  him  to  continue  his  work  of  Study 
and  Preparation,  until  such  time  as  he  may 
be  able  to  overcome  the  apparent  obstacles  in 
his  way. 

If  you  can  accomplish  all  that  is  required 
of  you  in  one  single  meeting,  all  very  good ; 
you  can  then  make  out  your  report  and  send 
it  to  me  at  once.  But,  in  the  very  nature  of 
the  work,  it  is  hardly  likely  that  you  will  be 
able  to  accomplish  your  task  without  further 
meetings  and  more  study  of  him.  In  this 
event,  tell  him  to  come  again,  and  if  that  is 
not  sufficient,  then  again,  and  again,  until  you 
can  render  your  report  in  a  way  that  will 
meet  your  own  approval. 

Eemember  always,  that  you  have  all  the 
time  there  is,  and  that  no  applicant  will  be- 
come impatient — ^if  he  is  worthy — so  long  as 
he  is  satisfied  that  you  are  doing  the  best 
you  can  to  satisfy  yourself  as  to  his  qualifica- 
tions. 

But  there  is  one  other  consideration  that 
you  should  always  keep  in  mind,  namely,  that 
you  are  never  to  allow  any  applicant  to  be- 
come an  enemy,  even  though  you  cannot  ap- 
prove his  admittance,  so  long  as  it  is  in  your 
power  to  prevent  it.  If  you  feel  that  he  is 
not  worthy,  let  your  treatment  of  him  prove 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  327 

to  him  that  you  are  truly  his  Friend,  and 
that  you  will  gladly  serve  him  insofar  as 
may  be  possible  within  the  limits  of  your 
authority  and  power. 

Doubtless  it  has  already  occurred  to  you 
that  an  applicant  is  likely  to  become  weary 
of  answering  the  same  questions  from  five  or 
six  different  Students  on  the  try-out  commit- 
tee; but  you  will  bear  in  mind  that  I  have 
only  suggested  the  various  topics  of  inquiry. 
I  have  not  formulated  any  of  your  questions 
for  you,  and  it  is  herein  that  your  work  will 
be  saved  from  the  mistake  of  monotony.  No 
two  will  formulate  the  same  questions,  even 
though  they  may,  in  a  general  sense,  cover 
the  same  field  of  inquiry. 

And  I  am  reminded  of  one  important  phase 
of  your  inquiry  to  which  I  have  not  yet  re- 
ferred, namely,  the  question  of  Education  of 
the  applicant.  Inasmuch  as  every  Student  is 
expected  at  some  time  to  become  also  an  '* In- 
structor/^ and  consequently  one  of  my 
^^ Helpers^ ^  in  the  Work  of  passing  on  the 
knowledge  to  other  applicants,  it  is  of  the 
most  vital  importance  to  the  success  of  the 
Work  that  the  applicant  possess  also  the 
qualifications  of  a  good  Instructor. 

But  inasmuch  as  the  work  of  education  and 
instruction  is  carried  on  entirely  by  corre- 


328  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

spondence,  you  can  see  at  once  that  it  is  of 
vital  importance  that  each  and  every  In- 
structor possess  the  kind  of  education  that 
will  enable  him  to  carry  on  his  part  of  the 
correspondence  in  a  way  to  command  the 
confidence  of  his  Students. 

In  other  words,  every  applicant  should  be 
examined  as  to  his  own  education — ^where 
educated,  what  schools,  colleges  and  univer- 
sities he  has  attended,  whether  a  graduate  of 
any  school  or  college,  and  if  so,  in  what 
course,  and  what  degree  he  has  earned. 

You  can  thus  get  all  the  data  by  carefully 
formulated  questions,  but  you  cannot  find  out 
in  that  way  how  far  he  applies  his  education 
when  it  comes  to  expressing  himself  in 
writing.  But  you  can  form  a  very  fair  judg- 
ment through  listening  to  his  method  of  ex- 
pressing himself;  and  it  will  then  be  a  part 
of  mi/  task  to  find  out  from  his  letters  and 
his  written  answers  to  the  Preliminary  Ques- 
tions, whether  he  spells  correctly,  uses  good 
grammar,  is  accurate  in  punctuation  and  the 
use  of  capitals ;  and  finally,  whether  he  makes 
a  correct  selection  of  good  English  expres- 
sion. 

If  he  fails  in  these  particulars  sufficiently 
to  handicap  him  in  his  work  as  an  Instructor, 
it  will  be  my  task  to  point  out  to  him  wherein 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  329 

he  is  deficient,  and  what  is  necessary  to  rem- 
edy the  difficulty.  I  have  done  this  in  a  good 
many  instances,  and  you  would  be  surprised 
if  you  could  know  how  many  Students  are 
to-day  engaged  in  a  systematic  study  of 
Spelling,  Grammar  and  English  expression, 
in  order  to  qualify  for  the  work  of  passing 
on  the  knowledge  to  others. 

And  herein  is,  perhaps,  one  of  the  best 
tests  possible  to  apply  to  determine  the  real 
abilities  of  an  applicant,  and  just  what  may 
be  expected  of  him  as  a  Student.  Those  who 
come  with  right  motives  and  purposes  will 
never  fail  on  the  education  test,  for  they 
will  gladly  enter  upon  any  course  of  study 
necessary  to  equip  them  for  the  real  Work  of 
passing  on  the  knowledge  according  to  the 
methods  of  Instruction  required  by  the  Great 
School.  This  has  been  proven  over  and 
again,  and  the  result  is  always  the  same. 

And  then  again,  there  is  the  social  aspect 
of  each  and  every  applicant.  It  is  often 
of  vital  importance  to  know  just  what  an 
applicant  represents  as  a  social  entity. 
Hence,  it  is  important  to  know  what  he  en- 
joys in  a  social  sense,  how  he  spends  his  time 
in  that  sense,  whether  he  enjoys  cards,  danc- 
ing, reading,  music,  or  other  forms  of  amuse- 


330  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK. 

ment,  or  entertainment.  These  items  fall 
clearly  within  your  field  of  inquiry. 

And  now  I  trust  I  have  brought  the  subject 
of  your  Personal  Responsibilities  to  the 
School  and  the  Work  before  you  in  such  man- 
ner as  to  enable  you  to  see  clearly  what  is 
demanded  of  you  in  fulfilment  of  your  obliga- 
tions as  one  of  my  Students  and  ^'Visible 
Helpers." 

And  I  earnestly  hope  that  this  will  help 
you  in  future  so  to  discharge  your  responsi- 
bilities as  to  guard  the  School  and  the 
Work — ^yes,  and  this  particular  Movement — 
against  the  admittance  of  any  applicant  who 
is  unable  to  prove  that  he  is  *'Duly  and  truly 
prepared,  worthy  and  well  qualified." 

I  also  earnestly  hope  that  what  I  have  said 
will  impress  you  with  the  fact  that  TIME 
is  of  little  or  no  importance,  except  insofar 
as  it  may  be  made  valuable  by  the  applica- 
tion of  intelligence  to  the  accomplishment  of 
worthy  ends. 

The  applicant  who  becomes  impatient  over 
necessary  delays,  or  who  refuses  to  respond 
cheerfully  and  honestly  to  your  inquiries  in 
all  your  efforts  to  determine  his  real  qualifi- 
cations for  studentship,  is  not  yet  ready  to 
assume  the  responsibilities  which  inevitably 
accompany  the  admittance  of  applicants  into 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORK.  331 

the  confidences  involved  in  the  educational 
Work  of  Instruction. 

And  the  Student  who  fails  to  understand 
and  appreciate  the  responsibilities  which  rest 
upon  him  to  guard  the  School  and  the  Work 
against  the  admittance  of  unworthy  appli- 
cants, is  himself  one  of  the  worst  enemies 
of  the  School  and  this  Movement,  in  all  the 
world. 

Let  this  mark  the  beginning  of  a  new 
epoch  in  the  history  of  the  Great  Cause  to 
which  we  owe  allegiance.  And  let  us  be 
ever  grateful. 


THE  GREAT  PSYCHOLOGICAL  CRIME 

By  TK 
Volume  11.     The  Harmonic  Series 

This  book,  with  its  fund  of  interesting  and  important 
scientific  data  and  helpful  knowledge,  was  written  by  the 
American  Representative  of  that  ^^venerable  school 
of  wisdom*  whose  records  are  the  most  ancient  at 
this  time  known  to  men,  and  which,  for  many  thousands 
of  years,  has  influenced  the  civilization  and  work  of  every 
great  nation  of  Earth. 

Its  members  have  toiled  for  the  advancement  of  the 
human  race  from  ignorance  to  knowledge,  from  darkness 
to  light,  throughout  the  ages  past. 

The  author's  analysis  of  Hypnotism  and  Mediumship 
is  masterly  and  complete.  This  book,  when  it  came  from 
the  press,  encountered  more  opposition  from  the  millions 
of  Spiritualists  than  any  and,  perhaps,  all  other  books 
written  upon  this  subject. 

The  author  demonstrates  that  Hypnotism  and  Medium- 
ship  are  analogm.  For  fifteen  chapters,  by  the 
most  relentless  logic  and  unanswerable  facts,  which  no 
one  has  challenged,  he  proves  that  subjective  Spiritual 
*'Mediumship"  is  vitally  destructive  to  the  physical  body 
and  the  human  soul. 

No  orthodox  Christian,  Spiritualist,  Agnostic,  Pro- 
fessional Alienist,  Professor  of  Psychology,  nor  Judge 
on  the  bench  should  pass  this  book  unread. 

Every  practicing  physican  owes  it  to  himself,  and  the 
community  in  which  he  lives,  to  study  and  weigh  the 
statements  in  this  book;  for  he  can  no  longer  stultify 
his  conscience  by  opposing  the  demonstrable  facts  of 
Science,  merely  because  it  may  not  come  through  the 
^* regular*  channels,  or  the  particular  school  he  may 
happen  to  represent. 

Add  this  to  your  collection  of  rare  books. 

Brund  in  maroon  Interlaken  cloth. 

Price  $2.00  postpaid. 


THE  GREAT  WORK 

By   TK 
Volume  111.    The  Harmonic  Series 

This  book  is  also  from  the  pen  of  the  author  of  *Uhe 
great  psychological  crime  \  and  is  a  presentation,  analysis 
and  elucidation  of  the  fundamental  principle  and  working 
formulary  of  the  Great  School  of  Natural  Science,  which 
principle  and  formulary  are  known  to  the  "Masters  of 
the  Law"  and  their  students  and  friends  as  the  **con' 
structive  principle  of  nature  in  individual  life  " 

The  author  of  "The  Great  Work"  is  the  American 
Representative  of  the  great  school  of  natural  science,  a 
School  which  was  hoary  with  age  when  the  foundation  of 
the  great  Pyramid  was  laid;  a  School  which  ante- 
dates all  present  authentic  history  and  records;  a  School 
against  which  the  waves  of  superstition  and  ignorance 
have  dashed  in  vain,  because  its  foundation  is  the  rock 
of  TRUTH. 

To  the  intelligent  freemason  as  well  as  the  general 
reader  this  book  is  invaluable,  for  it  puts  before  him  facts 
in  the  history  of  that  Ancient  Order  which  heretofore 
have    been    *^ buried  in  the  rubbish  of  the  temple.^^ 

'^The  great  work'^  is  unique  in  that  its  statements 
are  verified  facts  which  every  reader  may  prove  for  him- 
self under  right  guidance  if  he  but  have  the  "Intelligence 
to  know,  the  Courage  to  dare,  and  the  Perseverance  to 
do."  The  Philosophy  taught  in  this  book  appeals  to  both 
Reason  and  Conscience,  and  is  an  inspiration  to  "//ve  the 
life  and  know  the  law,'*  Every  student  realizes  that,  if  he 
so  wills,  he  may  be  an  heir  to  theWisdom  of  the  Ages. 

The  Great  Work  belongs  in  your  Library. 

Bound  in  maroon  Interlaken  cloth. 
Price  $2.00  Postpaid. 


MYSTIC  MASONRY 

By  J.  D.  Buck,  M.  D.,  S3° 

Volume  V.     Supplemental  Harmonic  Scries 

**Myfstic  masonry^*'  has  done  much  to  awaken 
interest  in  the  Science  and  Symbolism  of  Freemasonry. 
There  has  long  been,  among  thoughtful  Masons,  a  strong 
impression  that  the  sublime  truths  of  Masonry  do  not  lie 
on  the  surface,  and  that  they  are  rather  concealed  in  the 
ritual  of  the  Lodge  than  openly  disclosed  and  explained. 

Commendations  of  "/nj?s/fc  masonry^*^  have  as 
often  come  from  non-Masonic  readers  as  from  members 
of  the  Craft.  There  is  no  reliable  history  as  to  how  and 
when  the  Institution  of  Modern  Freemasonry  came  into 
existence,  nor  who  was  the  author  of  its  ritual  or  its 
philosophy.  From  the  first  it  has  undergone  no  essential 
change,  and  every  Mason  is  pledged  to  preserve  its 
ancient  landmarks  unaltered.  So  perfect,  however,  is 
this  sublime  institution  that,  after  two  hundred  years  of 
progress  in  the  most  fruitful  era  of  human  evolution. 
Masonry  is  still  abreast  of  the  times  and  up  to  the  most 
advanced  spirit  of  the  age.  No  wonder,  then,  it  is  called  a 
^* divine  institution  \  The  secrets  of  Freemasonry 
pertain  solely  to  the  ritual  and  the  rights  and  benefits 
of  the  lodge,  while  the  philosophy  is  open  to  the  world  at 
large. 

The  author  of  '*m\fstic  masonry/*  has  outlined  the 
philosophy  of  Masonry  in  this  little  book  and  explained 
many  of  the  ancient  symbols. 

The  book  is,  therefore,  quite  apprehensible  to  the 
non-Masonic  reader,  as  nothing  essential  to  the  under- 
standing of  the  philosophy  is  concealed,  and  it  is  designed 
to  be  a  contribution  to  the  knowledge  of  psychology  and 
the  uplift  of  the  human  race. 

Cloth,  260  pages.     Price  $1.00.    Postpaid. 


THE  GENIUS  OF  FREEMASONRY  AND 
THE  TWENTIETH  CENTURY  CRUSADE 

By  J.  D.  Buck  SS"" 
Volume  I.    Supplemental  Harmonic  Series 


This  book  is  at  once  a  sign  and  a  summons  to 
every  Masonic  Brother  who  loves  his  Country,  his  Home, 
his  Family,  and  the  Craft  of  which  he  is  an  honored 
member. 

Every  Brother  Mason  worthy  of  the  name,  however 
exalted  or  humble  he  may  be,  owes  it  to  himself  to  know 
what  this  book  contains. 

Masonry  is  facing  the  most  vital  and  crucial  issue  in  its 
history. 

The  call  is  for  men  of  courage^ 

Are  y^ou  willing  to  stand  up  and  be  counted?  If  not,  you 
WILL  be  after  you  have  read  this  splendid  book. 

Price,  cloth,  $1.00;  Morocco,  $2.00.    Postpaid. 


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